


Harry Potter and The Imaginary Friend

by Areitheperidotdragon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:53:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22750546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areitheperidotdragon/pseuds/Areitheperidotdragon
Summary: Currently editing chapters, thank you for your patience while the story goes through maintenance. What if Imaginary friends were real? What if they could affect the world around them and change the course of the story as we know it? Let it be known that not all is as it seems when these guardians stand at a Wizard/Witches side. Also on fanfic net
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

Harry Potter and The Imaginary Friend.

Don't own Harry Potter, that incredible right belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Warning: M for language and potential implied situations

Edit 11/14/2014: Little things added and spelling errors fixed.

M.D. edit as of 01/17/2015

More edits as of 11/2019. Going back through this story to fix any discrepancies before I resume work on the second story. Got Grammarly and it's really helping my work. Thank you, everyone, for bearing with me.

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Prologue: The Beginning

At Number 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, there was a quaint little house with a rather unusual family residing within. There was a young boy by the name of Harry James Potter, and he lived with his Aunt Petunia and his cousin Dudley. Harry's Aunt and cousin used the rooms on the second floor. His room, however, was the little cupboard under the stairs. Now that might sound questionable until one found out that said cupboard had been magicked to be just as large as the smallest bedroom of the house. The young lad was an extraordinary boy, living in an exceptional room as, you see, Harry James Potter was, in fact, a Wizard.

Young Harry was also rather intelligent for his age and knew quite a few things that had happened in the ten (almost eleven) years that he's lived thus far.

He knew a very, very evil wizard had killed his parents. A Dark Wizard. A man who had drawn people in with his charms concerning Pure-blood families' strength versus non-magical humans and their magical children. The man was comparable to the non-magical tyrant that had been defeated in WWII; Adolf Hitler. This evil wizard had killed many non-magical's as well as dozens of witches and wizards. Many who had tried to oppose his visions of conquest had died.

Oh yes, Harry knew about the horrible war that had claimed his parents' lives.

He knew as well that his Aunt Petunia and cousin were his only living blood relatives because of said war. Grandparents on both sides? Dead. Immediate cousins on his Father's side? Dead. Same with some of his mom's cousins and any Great-Aunts/Uncles. His dad hadn't had any siblings, and his mom had only had Petunia, and they had become estranged over the years. Now though? _Now_ there were potent wards that were built upon the bonds of blood. Wards that were currently wrapped around his Aunt's house. These bonds meant that he could not be tracked by magical means and allowed him to hide in relative safety with his muggle, or non-magical, relatives.

Another thing he knew was that when he'd initially come to live with his Aunt's family, he'd been prone to horrible, outright _terrifying_ dreams. Because of these dreams, he would escape from his bed with magic, bypassing its' child-safety bars, to hide and eventually sleep inside the broom closest below the stairs. It had been quite a good idea to his young mind. Who would look for a little boy in a _broom closet_ filled to the brim with supplies?

He knew that his Aunt, while she did not quite love him as much as she loved her Dudley, still cared for him in her own way and did her best to instill him with good manners and a healthy respect for his elders. She had initially tried to force him to stay within said 'second bedroom' to instill within him the need to be normal, but he'd somehow magic himself into said cupboard every night to 'hide from the bad man.' Eventually, the supplies had been moved out, and a mattress and blanket moved into the little cupboard. His Uncle had been quite happy to leave him there and had eventually dubbed the bedroom that Harry _had_ been using as 'Dudley's second bedroom' and the cupboard as 'that freak boy's room.'

When Harry had first arrived, his Uncle had been very much against him staying and was adamant that he would not shelter a 'Freak' in his house. You see, when Petunia had first explained the magical world to him so he would know about her sister, he had reacted... well to say he responded _poorly_ would have been putting it mildly. Very mildly. Petunia had eventually been able to convince him to let Harry stay as he was a blood relation after all. Vernon, in turn, managed to persuade Petunia that they would be able to 'punish any magical ability out of him' if he did indeed show himself to have said 'Freakish Tendencies.'

Still, Harry knew that she had often hoped that he would prove to be non-magical as well. He'd often heard her muttering to herself over the years that she wished any signs of magical ability would 'just go away.' She often tried to teach Harry how to do 'normal' things in the hopes that he would thrive at being, well, normal. Because of those well-meant attempts at trying to teach him, they had found out that he was good at, and even enjoyed, cooking of all things!

His Aunt was a hard taskmistress when he first started learning how to cook. The wooden spoon she used doubled as a paddle to his hands if he tried to add salt instead of sugar, for example, or when he tried to touch the burner when it was hot or cook without her being present in the room. To his Aunt, cooking was a delicate and dangerous art that required precise measurements and attention to detail. They both found some enjoyment in a 'Normal' activity that they could share and, though Dudley had no skill at the art of cooking, Harry's cousin enjoyed sampling the food that they cooked.

One might ask at this point what other part Aunt Petunia's husband, Vernon, played in all of this beyond angry mutters and threats?

Threats that were in no way idle ones.

Vernon had no love of 'Freakish' people. In fact, Aunt Petunia was barely able to prevent his Uncle from his more harsh reactions of wanting to 'beat the magic out of him' the first time they realized that it was his accidental magic that was helping him hide in the cupboards, not clever baby-tricks. She suggested 'chore' type punishments and food punishments such as doing yard work or going without dinner if he misbehaved and, for a time, that worked to distract her husband's ire.

It certainly didn't help matters that Vernon favored his son. The older man tended to yell at Petunia if she showed Harry even the slightest bit of attention or, worse still, her _approval._ She needed to instead 'focus on spoiling her own son instead of that Freak's spawn.' Petunia _did_ try at first to ensure in the early days that the boys got along. Still, Vernon was quick to counter any punishment she might bring down on Dudley for his misbehavior and instead blamed 'the freak' for absolutely anything that went wrong, be it grades or Dudley's first signs of bullying.

She'd even wanted to do something as simple as keep his prescriptions for his glasses up to date and had instead been forced, initially, to give her nephew glasses from a bargain bin. No, Vernon would not 'waste a single cent' on the younger boy.

Things had continued along that vein until after Harry had turned eight years old. He'd had to use magic while at home to escape from Dudley and his cruel taunting. Harry had shouted for Dudley to go away and leave him alone, and the bigger boy had ended up on the roof of number 4 Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon had been forced to get him down. Vernon himself had been panting and red-faced by the time he got Dudley down, Vernon was very much overweight and having to climb the ladder to reach the heavier boy down had taken quite a bit out of the beast of a man.

Vernon had sent Dudley to a friend's house, and sadly, his Aunt had been out of town with her friends for the day. He didn't remember quite what had happened after Vernon sent his cousin away, but he knew that it had been wrong. Bad enough that he had forgotten quite a few memories from before he turned eight.

How then, you ask, _did_ he know all this? How did he know these things when he didn't _remember_ any of it?

A simple answer. Harry had a magical friend. An Imaginary Friend.

His Friend was named Beth. She looked how one might imagine J.R.R Tolkien's elves would look in real life. Tall, graceful, with hair the color of living fire and eyes as bright a green as Harry's own. The only oddity was that she had scales, lovely little scales as fine as sand! They were the same color as her eyes and trailed down along her spine. The scales wrapped around her wrists like bracelets that ran to a line along the top of her hands. The line stopped at a spot just at the base of her middle fingers. She always wore a soft, silvery gown and a belt that had several different types of small sheathed blades attached to it with smaller belt-loops and hooking rings.

Beth had once told him that Imaginary Friends lived on a separate plane of existence that could barely, just barely, interact with his own without aid. Imaginary Friends could show themselves to any young human, magical or not, but could only be with a non-magical child for as long as they were needed. They couldn't even affect anything 'real,' anything physical, around their Normal Humans. This, she had said, was because of the lack of a strong Core in the Non-magical's. Specifically, a person's innate magical Core tied to one's soul. Everyone, everything, living had such a Core that kept them alive at the very least, she'd said. Like little candles. Not all living beings had a strong enough Core to be a 'wizard' or 'witch,' whose Core's usually shone like large braziers or even bonfires. Eventually, Non-magical's, or 'muggles,' would no longer be able to support the Bond between them and their friends.

For Magical Humans, however, the Imaginary would remain at that Witch or Wizard's side until their dying day. Unless a particularly extreme set of situations occurred. This was because they had a strong enough magical core for the Bond to last.

Beth had taught him that there were many different shapes that an Imaginary might end up taking. It wasn't by choice, but rather something that their Bonded chose subconsciously. Something funny or strong. Something soothing and kindly or even something kingly and regal. Harry had laughed when she'd initially told him that an Imaginary Friend could be anything from a 'Talking Slug' to a mighty 'Jeweled Dragon.' She had warned him to _never_ confuse a real Jeweled Dragon (native to her world) with the dragons of his world, 'for Humans are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.'

He never did feel brave enough to ask her to clarify how she knew that _last_ bit...

Now, while Beth usually did not leave Harry's side, for two weeks out of the year, she absolutely had to return to her own world. This time was used to report to her immediate superiors as well as enjoy what amounted to a 'vacation.' Being an Imaginary Friend, she explained, was sort of like a muggle job and also sort of like a required mission for those who wanted to have a higher position among her people. The 'Event' that had left him with the hole in his memories had sadly occurred during one such report/vacation. Beth had just returned to her home-world through the 'Barrier Between,' one of the main gates that let Imaginaries phase in and out of Harry's world, when she had felt his peril through their Bond. She'd stumbled and then rushed to cross back through the Barrier.

Sadly, it took several hours to 'traverse' the worlds. A kind of time displacement that was unavoidable and moderately draining. By the time she arrived back on Harry's world, the damage had already been done. Beth had found him bloody, beaten up, and locked up within his cupboard. Vernon had left the house after having hurt Harry so severely. The older man had gone out drinking with some of his friends. Dudley was still out as well and wasn't due back until the next day.

Thankfully, Aunt Petunia returned home within mere minutes of Beth's own arrival. Beth had managed to wake Harry up long enough to beg him to let her use as much of his magic as she could to get his Aunt's attention. Given his health at the time, it would have been at the risk of losing all of his magic. His Core was far too weak at that age, and his physical state currently too poor for her to cast any significant magic without causing him even more harm. Per her own peoples' rules, she needed his permission if the spell she cast would potentially drain his Core to nothing.

With the damage, even a minor spell would put his Core at risk. But the only option was to ask and hopefully cast a single spell that would both get his Aunt's attention while also not killing him, or risk him bleeding out before anyone found him. A potential no-win scenario if there ever was one...

Harry hadn't wanted to agree at first when she managed to wake him up. He wanted to just go back to sleep, wanted to keep forgetting, to just disappear, but he'd caved. If it meant the loss of his magic and in turn, what had happened would never, ever happen again, he would honestly have been okay with that trade-off.

He really didn't recall much of what happened afterward. He'd only ever recall feeling oh so very tired after Beth had used his magic to get his Aunt's attention. The only clear image he could remember, was his Aunt opening the cupboard to find him hurt and, screaming in outright panic, she had rushed him to the muggle hospital for treatment.

What had happened in the weeks that had followed was... also pretty much a blur to him. Beth was there to keep him steady and help him talk about things, but he'd needed a lot of prompting on her part to even acknowledge people. There was an even longer time spent talking to the police, the drawn-out divorce case amid an intense trial. His Uncle was sent to prison for a very, very long time at the end of it all, at least, a silver lining to the entire mess. It was only after he was gone, firmly behind bars, that Harry had started to show his previous, lively, and energetic attitude.

Aunt Petunia had later managed to get in touch with a nice old man with a fondness for Lemon Drop candies to change Harry's cupboard to the small room that it currently was. He'd initially refused to leave it except for eating and using the bathroom for almost a week after all the court cases were done, and she wanted him to have some more space. The old man, Dumbledore, had even modified something called 'wards' to prevent Vernon from ever getting onto the property again once his term in jail was over before helping Harry recover from what the old man had called 'Core Sickness.'

He didn't blame his Aunt or Beth for what happened. How could he? Still, both were obviously upset with themselves for not being there to prevent the 'Event.' He had to keep telling them that he didn't blame them, that _they_ weren't the ones that hurt him. He loved them.

Things definitely got better once Vernon was gone. Dudley didn't always get his way anymore, not as he had previously had due his father's insistence and favoritism. His outright blaming of Harry for things the younger boy had no control over. Dudley was instead punished when he did something terrible as opposed to receiving praise said deeds. Furthermore, he'd been put on a diet that Petunia had long since desired to put him on. Harry was no longer sent to bed without food anymore (Vernon had often insured that happened though Petunia always made sure he got a good helping of breakfast and lunch at the very least). Of course, if Harry misbehaved, then he still had to do chores (though never to such a degree as before). Harry felt that his life was looking up!

And that was even though his Aunt still seemed to hope he 'wouldn't get that blasted letter'...

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Reviews would be lovely :)

Going through and editing this story. I realized there were a few spelling errors and a missing scene and a few other things, so I will be going through to fix things. Thank you again, everyone.


	2. Birthday Hijinks

Harry Potter and the Imaginary Friend

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

Edits to fix grammar, spelling and add a few things.

Edited as of 11/14/2014

Yay! I have an editor now! For personal preferences, she only wants to be known as M.D. :D

Edited M.D. 1/9/15

Edited as of 11/16/2019

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Chapter One: Birthday Hijinks

Harry woke up just after dawn and stretched briefly before snuggling back up under the covers. It was the twenty-third of June. Dudley's Birthday. As per his usual wake up habits, he stayed under the covers for just five more minutes, enjoying the cocoon of warmth, before he finally sat up and started to look around for his glasses. Normally, they would have been on his nightstand, closest to the side of his bed. This morning, however, he was finding it a bit difficult to locate them, his fingers scrabbling more and more worriedly against the wood in their hunt for the familiar frames. A soft bit of laughter filled his ears as his search continued to prove fruitless. Harry paused, blinking blankly for a few moments. He then turned a mock stern frown at the blurry form of the person laughing at him.

"Alright then, haha, what did you do with them, Beth?" he asked, with a hint of a whine in his voice. Now that his 'Core' was getting stronger, she'd taken to playing small pranks on him, such as moving his glasses or his books to different locations.

"What did I do with them? Dear Harry, I did nothing. Perhaps, if you recall that you fell asleep whilst reading, then you will realize just where they are, hmm?" Beth gave him a gentle smile that he could just barely make out due to his poor vision, and then she walked over to his writing desk, where he kept his few toys on display; he preferred storybooks as gifts.

He frowned slightly when she moved away as she ended up becoming even more of a blurry blob. He glanced to the side and saw the book he had been reading the night before lying on the bed half-open. The book in question was The Hobbit, and it was his umpteenth time reading the book as it, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy had always been one of his favorites. Beth oft times reminded him of one of the elves mentioned within the book's pages. He blinked slowly as he fought away the last of the sleep-induced fog wrapped around his mind and rubbed at his eyes. With a flash of realization and an excited shout, he put his hand to his head and found his glasses propped up on the top where he had placed them before falling asleep. He was rather glad he didn't toss and turn when sleeping, else he might have crushed them. He pulled his glasses back down, his vision clearing instantly, and then looked over to where Beth stood.

She was running her fingers over one of the small toys on his desk. He focused on it and grinned happily, it was his Dalek toy, the first toy he had gotten that was his and his alone, received on his ninth birthday shortly after the 'Event' that had sent the man he once called 'Uncle' to prison.

He and Dudley had started to get along better once Vernon was gone from the house, as Vernon had often encouraged Dudley to eat as much as he wanted, take what he wanted, and all-around encouraging his son to be a bully. With Vernon gone, Aunt Petunia had finally been able to put her foot down instead of having to let things go on as they had been. Oh, he was still her precious 'Duddle-kins,' but he wasn't allowed to be as much of a wild bully and a loose cannon any longer, especially concerning his temper tantrums. As such, the two had developed an...adversarial friendship of sorts as the years had progressed.

While Dudley's favorite game of 'Harry Hunting' had been put to an end, the two boys still got into occasional fights. Boys being boys and all that, they did not get along in all things. However, nowadays, Harry was allowed to defend himself if Dudley was bullying him. They still both understood that if they were caught fighting, then they would both be doing chores. Dudley for instigating the fight and Harry for failing to hold his own temper in check by walking away to get Aunt Petunia or another adult.

The best change for Harry since the 'Event' was that he could turn on and watch the telly on his own and not have to watch whatever anyone else was watching. He had found quite a few of the morning cartoons and afternoon shows to be very enjoyable. The boys still got into fights on occasion. But now it was mostly because the pair had different tastes in shows and movies. Harry favored Star Wars while Dudley favored Star Trek, for example. When it came to the show Red Dwarf, Dudley adored Rimmer, and Harry liked Lister. Both of them, however, could always agree on one show, Doctor Who. They both agreed that the Doctor, in all his different forms, was absolutely brilliant and enjoyed watching his many adventures across time, sharing what they would love to see and do if they were Companions of the Doctor. They would often watch re-runs of the same episode several times over.

Harry grinned to himself at the memories as he slid off the bed and got dressed. He had been planning on a surprise for Dudley's birthday for some time now, which was why he wasn't merely going back to sleep to await Dudley's traditional role as the family 'alarm clock.' Something which usually involved the older boy jumping up and down on the stairs right above Harry's cupboard/room. Although the cupboard was expanded with magic, to the rest of the house, it was still proportionate in size. So when Dudley jumped up and down, his rooms' entire ceiling shook, and some bits of dust would flow free if he neglected to clean his room for long periods. He'd managed to hang up a few dangling stars and moons and some self-drawn Daleks so that they bounced whenever Dudley jumped, which Harry found to be amusing.

Harry eased out of the cupboard, glancing around to make sure his Aunt was still asleep and wasn't up and about cleaning anything. When he confirmed all was clear, he headed over to the kitchen, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He busily moved about the kitchen, gathering together all the supplies he would need. Butter, eggs, milk, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and more. He set to work on making the best cake he'd ever made to date, knowing that Dudley would be over the moon at the sight of it.

Harry set to work on his planned seven-layer chocolate TARDiS cake. Each layer would be separated by the different fruit fillings that Dudley liked, such as cherry, strawberry, blueberry, and more. Smaller Dalek cakes would also be placed on the large glass cake plate at random points to give the appearance that they were converging on the TARDiS. He hoped fervently that neither his Aunt nor his cousin would wake up. The sweet smell of the baking cake was rapidly filling the house after all, and he wanted this to be a surprise. Beth laughed at him when he muttered, 'don't wake up, don't wake up!' a few times under his breath, causing him to glare at her in response, annoyed by the smug knowing smile that was on her lips. Despite himself, he held back the urge to scold her for it. The timing was everything today.

He was finishing up the last of the decorations as a random question came to mind. Harry was surprised when he realized that he hadn't thought to ask it before he glanced at Beth and then back to his work.

"So Beth, um, do all boys end up getting a female Imaginary, or what?" he asked.

"Oh, dear Harry, no." Beth laughed softly and lifted one of the small Daleks to float around the TARDiS cake for a moment. "A person's Imaginary can be male or female depending on the child's need, the same with their shape. You needed me and perceive me in my current form. In fact, my dear Harry, you Chose me, which does not happen often. Most times, we choose our own charges."

Harry stopped and looked up at her again with a blink. "I did? Really?"

"Aye. While I had been looking for my own human to bond to, I had only intended to visit your home. You had a wonderfully loving family at the time you see, and really seemed to have no need for a Bond to one such as I. You had your mother, father, a loving godfather, doting godmother and more."

Harry sighed softly, a faint smile at the picture she was painting. He'd seen a picture or two of his mother Lily, but no images of his father or the others Beth mentioned, and he often wondered at what the others looked like. Petunia didn't have any muggle pictures of James. She had mentioned something about 'moving photos' that the magical community could make. Petunia also said that she hadn't been willing to keep any of the photos Lily had sent. That was due to the rather poor relationship that she'd had with her sister. Petunia had disliked magic as a result, and as all the photos were magical in nature, she'd tossed the lot out.

"Your magic actually lashed out and snared ME!" she continued in a feigning an affronted tone, which caused him to laugh.

"I'd moved over to you, and you just smiled at me, my Dear Harry. You won my heart with just that little smile as your magic reached out to me and Bound us together."

She suddenly grinned and put on an exaggerated, conceited look as she flicked a strand of hair behind a pointed ear.

"Of course, it helped immensely that your eyes match my scales!"

That caused Harry to dissolve into a fit of laughter loud enough that there were sounds from his Aunt's room, which was right above the kitchen. He checked the time, still giggling and only feeling slightly guilty about waking her, and saw that it was around nine in the morning now. He'd been up for about four hours at this point, working on the surprise.

He grinned to himself as he finished the last of the TARDiS decoration and stood back to look over the placement of each little cake. He nodded to himself and moved to stand to beside the table, straightened out his shirt, and waited. He could hear Aunt Petunia yelling for Dudley to get ready for the trip; they were going to the zoo today, and he needed to get dressed right away if they wanted to leave on time. Harry grinned wider as Dudley's resulting whoop of excitement filled the air. Harry could hear him as he ran down the stairs and paused to jump up and down midway.

"Come on! Wake up!" Dudley cried. "Lazybones! Wake up!"

"Already up, Dudders!" Harry called from the kitchen with a snicker.

"Hey, now! Don't ruin my fun like... that..." Dudley's voice trailed off as he barreled into the kitchen and came to a surprised halt. His jaw dropped as he stared in awe at the cake.

"What is with all this ruckus! Boys, you had best not be getting into trouble today of all days!" Aunt Petunia said, her voice a bit put off. She came to a likewise surprised halt behind her son at the sight of the cake, not having expected it.

Harry took that moment of stunned silence to look over his Aunt and cousin.

His Aunt was thin and blonde and actually quite tall for a woman. She had her hair up today in a tight, no-nonsense bun and wore a faint amount of makeup that Harry thought looked quite nice on her. Her face had a natural tightness to it that made it look a bit pinched, but it was countered, softened, by the laugh lines she had developed these past few years. Aunt Petunia was still a no-nonsense woman who secretly loved to gossip, but she had changed since divorcing her husband and had been able to relax more now that she didn't have to worry quite so much about being a 'proper' wife. She'd even gained a bit of weight and was no longer quite so rail thin.

Dudley, in contrast, was still overweight but not quite as heavily overweight as he had been almost three years ago. His face still had a bit of pudge to it, but it had thinned out, and it bore more the look of residual baby fat than over-eating now. His eyes before had seemed a watery, dim blue but now had a bit more vibrancy to them. His hair was blonde like his mother's but a bit thicker and actually had the start of a healthy sheen to it. Not to say that Dudley wasn't still fat, he was and would need to work out more as the years passed to work off the weight, but he wasn't 'morbidly obese' any longer, and he was showing visible signs of better health.

"This is...this is..." Dudley stuttered out. "Blimey, Harry! This is ace! You make it all yourself?"

Harry grinned as well, puffing up a little bit with pride as he looked at the two. He grew tense after a moment as Aunt Petunia moved forward and eyed the cake with a critical look. He gulped and then moved forward to indicate one of the smaller Dalek cakes that he'd left on a small plate specifically for this; Aunt Petunia's Judgment. She carefully took the offered plate from Harry and then took the fork Dudley grabbed from the table to give to her.

Both stood tersely as they waited with bated breath for 'the review.' She could be quite harsh if the flavoring, texture, or well if anything was off. She took a slow, delicate bite of the small cake, chewed, and savored the flavor and texture with a thoughtful look on her face.

The moments passed, and Harry began to worry that he had added too much sugar, or maybe too little! Maybe there was too much cocoa powder, or the cake was too dry! He felt a nudge from the side and looked up to see Beth. She gave him a gentle, reassuring smile, and he forced himself to let go of the breath he had been holding and relax. He nodded to her and looked back to Aunt Petunia just as she nodded her head in approval.

"Acceptable." she said, which was her version of 'very well done!'

Harry grinned as Dudley gave him a pat to the back that was just this side of too hard and caused him to stumble forward half a step. His aunt suddenly clapped her hands together and shooed them toward the door with instructions to grab their coats as they went. The zoo would open soon, and she wanted to be there as soon as it opened, she had a schedule set and heaven help them if they were late because they dilly-dallied. Harry snickered at Dudley's mournful glance back at the cake.

They piled into the car, picked up Dudley's friend Piers Polkiss from his home down the road, and had a relatively peaceful drive out to the Zoo as Dudley sat between Harry and Piers, which prevented Piers from randomly punching Harry's arm. Things may have changed between Harry and Dudley, but Piers still didn't like Harry that much, and the feeling was mutual.

When they arrived a the Zoo, the boys immediately piled out of the car and rushed for the entrance. They were forced to wait for Aunt Petunia as they didn't have tickets as of yet, and a small shoving match between the boys started up briefly before a sharp word from her stopped it from escalating further. They then went to each exhibit and looked over the different animals within each habitat. Dudley had been eying the ice cream cart mournfully, and Harry knew he was contemplating the wisdom of trying to throw one of his old tantrums in an attempt to get a cone. He knew very well though his mother wouldn't let him have any sweets until after dinner, then the snake exhibit suddenly caught his eye.

"Hey, now! Look at this!" Dudley shouted and ran over to the exhibit, Piers hot on his heels.

Harry followed at a more sedate pace. Piers and Dudley both tapped on the glass before swiftly pulling their hands back at Aunt Petunia's harsh 'Boys, hands down!' but the snake hadn't moved a bit despite the taps the boys had made to the glass.

"I think the bleedin' things asleep," Dudley grumbled as he stepped back a few paces, bored at the serpents inaction.

Piers nodded in agreement, and they both moved off. Harry approached the glass and looked the snake over, hands firmly shoved into his pockets so as not to draw his Aunts ire. He could feel Beth standing just behind him.

"You should say 'hello,'" she said.

She grinned at him when he looked at her, and she gave him a nudge toward the exhibit, forcing him closer. Harry rolled his eyes and then turned to the giant snake.

 _Why not?_ he thought with a shrug.

"Hey there. My name is Harry. Sorry 'bout my cousin and his friend. They get a bit loud sometimes," Harry said amicably.

Beth snickered behind him, and he heard her mutter to herself that 'loud' was putting it mildly. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking in his direction and then swatted at her only to have her dodge easily out of the way with a laugh. When he looked back at the snake, he saw that it had raised its' head up to look at him curiously. Harry glanced over the sign on the cage and read the information on it.

"Brazil, huh? That must have been nice," Harry said idly.

He looked up to see the snake shaking its' head and pointing back to the sign with its' tail. Harry blinked at that, but he was rather used to odd things happening that he couldn't explain and could only label this event like many others under the heading of 'Magic' in his mind. He looked back at the sign and saw a note down near the bottom: 'Raised in Captivity.'

"Tough luck there, mate," Harry said with a small frown. "Kinda know what that's like, had a rough time of it for a while growing up myself, things have been better these past few years though. I hope they treat you nicely."

He looked up and started to smile at the snake when he suddenly found himself being shoved to the ground. Harry's head banged against the concrete hard enough to make him momentarily dizzy. He could dimly hear Piers and Dudley yelling for his Aunt to come and look at the snake, and he could also make out Beth yelling at the boys in her own language.

He snickered softly, knowing that she was just blowing off steam and that she knew that the two couldn't hear her, but he found it funny nonetheless.

He rubbed his head as he sat up and spared a glare for Piers, who was the one who had knocked him down. He frowned and closed his eyes at the pain, which had gotten a bit worse when he'd sat up and found himself wishing that he could pay back Piers somehow for the shove. In the next moment, he heard his Aunt shrieking in sudden fear. Harry opened his eyes, and he let out a yelp. The glass of the exhibit was gone, and the large python was slithering toward him. The Python stopped just by him and nodded its' head.

'Thankssss amigo! Brazzzil, here I come!' the snake cried out happily as it slithered away.

Harry squawked slightly in surprise at a sudden yank on the back of his shirt. His Aunt was working to wrench him away from the snake while screaming for Zoo security. Meanwhile, Beth did nothing but laugh her arse off on the floor, amused by the weird situation he was positively _sure_ had been because of him.

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Reviews would be welcome.

Also, there will be subtle changes in the beginning.

Mostly canon pairings.


	3. A Letter and a Confession

Harry Potter and the Imaginary Friend

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

Yay! Three reviews! Makes me happy :)

excalibur's fire: I'm glad you like my Aunt Petunia. Your question is answered in this chappy hope you like!

Smithback: It's an idea for Hermione over Ginny, but I do feel that Hermione grounds Ron more then any other female might.

Still, have a poll up right now as far as who to pair Harry with. So far, Luna is in the lead. Please vote!

Small fix for punctuation on this chap as of 01/10/2015

Edited MD 1/19/15

Edits 11/16/2019

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Chapter Two: A Letter and a Confession

Since what had been dubbed the 'Zoo Incident,' things had been relatively quiet at home. Harry had still found himself being grounded for having released the python for a while. Aunt Petunia knew that only magic would have caused the glass of the habitat to disappear for no reason, and no amount of apologies would change his grounding. He may not have meant to release the animal, she told him, but he had to have meant for _something_ to have happened, seeing as how accidental magic was tied to strong emotions. She'd learned that much early on growing up with Lily even though she had tried to ignore it over the years. He'd admitted finally that he was upset with Piers because of being shoved so violently to the side and hitting his head as a result that he had, in fact, wanted 'something' to happen to the other boy.

Thankfully, Harry's grounding was offset by the fact that Piers' wasn't allowed to visit Dudley for a week as Aunt Aunt Petunia had indeed seen him shove Harry, and she wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior when she was around. She'd then contacted Piers' mother about the incident, and Piers' had gotten a good scolding both from Aunt Petunia and his mother as if Harry had hit his head hard enough on the STONE floor he could have ended up with more then just an egg on his noggin. Either way, Aunt Petunia had been quite short with both Harry and Dudley for a few days after the incident, as magic still made her a touch twitchy and irritable.

The rest of June and most of July passed peacefully, but both boys noticed Aunt Petunia's slow descent into melancholy as July passed by, and Harry's birthday drew closer. Harry and Dudley did their best to try to cheer her up, but nothing seemed to work. They'd catch her from time to time, holding an open locket in her hand and staring at it for hours on end.

When she realized she was being watched, she'd close the locket and put it up in a place where neither boy would be able to reach it. They both knew that the day Harry was born was the last day she'd seen Harry's mum before she'd been killed.

Neither boy pushed her as they knew despite her love of gossip, she was a very closed off person and preferred to mourn in private. Both boys, however, were shocked when one day when she picked up the mail and went deathly pale. She'd stood there for several long minutes staring at nothing before realizing the boys were trying, gently, to get her attention by tugging lightly on the hem of her shirt.

Her face darkened with anger for a few moments before going blank of any emotion. She then ordered Harry and Dudley to go together to Dudley's room, which left them confused as they were usually sent to their respective rooms when they were in any sort of trouble.

A few moments later, they realized why she gave the order that she did as they heard shouting and crashes from downstairs, followed by what they both would later describe as a howl of pure sorrow and rage that left them both worried and fearful for the older woman's sanity. What in the world was in that letter that would bring this sort of reaction from a normally calm and strict woman?

Several worry-filled hours later, the spent in silence as neither boy was up to watching the telly, they heard a soft knock at the door before it opened to show Aunt Petunia. She looked a right mess, and even though she showed signs that she had tried to clean up, they could still see faint lines where her mascara had run over her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hair had fallen loose from its normally neat bun.

"Harry, follow me please," she said in a soft voice. "Dudley, stay here, for now, son. I'll want to talk to you later as well, though, sweetie. Just... watch some telly for now, alright? Neither of you are in trouble."

Harry and Dudley shared a look before Harry stood to follow his aunt, and Dudley turned to the telly and flicked it on. Aunt Petunia led Harry outside to the back garden and sat down on the bench. She indicated for Harry to take a seat beside her, and he sat down carefully, still a bit nervous due to her odd demeanor. She was quiet for several long minutes before she finally spoke.

"Harry is your... friend... here?" She asked softly.

He looked around a moment, Beth had remained near Aunt Petunia when the boys had gone to Dudley's room; however, now she was sitting nearby watching him and his aunt calmly. She caught his eye and gave a subtle nod of her head. He turned and nodded to his aunt and indicated where Beth was sitting. Aunt Petunia nodded stiffly in response.

"Very well. Your friend can answer any other questions you may have later. For now, please just listen to me."

Her voice was rough with an emotion that Harry couldn't place, so he simply nodded in response in an attempt to not upset her further. His aunt remained silent for several more moments before starting to talk.

"Your grandparents were... hippies. Very much into the whole 'free love' thing. When your mother turned eleven and received a very random letter from a strange man claiming to be a wizard, they were... doubtful at first. Once the man performed some magic to prove it was real, everyone was excited... even me."

She went silent for a few minutes, and Harry tried to imagine the picture his aunt was painting for him. He could tell from her expression though that things... didn't end well.

"At first, things were great. Lily got her wand, her books, her robes, everything. We talked about it, and I was blind for some time to the realization that I wouldn't be going with her. I was the older sister... I had not gotten a letter on my eleventh birthday... I would be staying behind while my little sister, my dearest friend, would be going to a wonderful, magical world that I could never truly be a part of," she let out a soft and wistful sigh.

"I will admit, over time, I became jealous and angry at my sister for leaving me. I blamed Magic for taking her from me. Then I met HIM and decided that I would be normal, perfectly normal, and turned my back on my parents and my sister for that normalcy. I still loved her, but I could not stand to be near her for long periods. I left her wedding as soon as it was polite to do so. I hardly talked to her while I was there. I was there for your birth and left shortly afterward wishing her luck raising you and... it may have been cruel, but I told her that I hoped you would turn out 'normal' as I left. Then... and then..."

His aunt broke off and covered her face with her hands, leaning forward and letting out a soft cry, a smaller, lesser version of the wail from earlier but still a sound no less wrought with pain. He reached out to place a hand on her arm in comfort and found himself drawn into her arms in one of the few hugs she had ever given to him over the years.

"And then Magic took her away from me again! She was killed!" Aunt Petunia was sobbing softly as she whispered her words into his shoulder. "I never got to say goodbye! I never got to make up with her. And then we had you to take care of. Despite all the silence between us, she still _Trusted_ me to see to you! Oh, HE raged at having to take care of you and fed my anger at her death. I don't excuse my behavior, how can I!? I let HIM feed that rage and sorrow. I let HIM convince me we could stamp out your magic when I knew better! I _knew_ that it was the same as having blue eyes or brown eyes. It's genetic, you have it, or you don't, but I let myself be blinded! I am so sorry about that. So sorry... oh, Lily! I'm sorry!"

Aunt Petunia fell into sobs, and Harry did his best to hold her and comfort her. Tears fell from his own eyes as he witnessed her break down in front of him. Beth moved a bit closer and started to hum a soft melody, and even though his aunt couldn't hear it he could feel a tingle over his skin that helped calm his own emotions, and he knew that Beth was using his magic combined with her own to produce a calming aura around the two of them. It was still several minutes before his Aunt stopped crying, and several more before she was able to compose herself. She tightened her hold on Harry for a moment and then let him go to wipe at her eyes. She turned to pick something up and then held out the letter that had arrived in the mail to him with a sad smile.

"This is your letter, Harry. Your way into the Magical world. Now, the Headmaster of the school wanted you to grow up with a normal childhood. There's a reason for that. You see, when your parents died, he told me that they were killed by a spell that has no counter and kills a person instantly," she snapped her fingers as she spoke, and Harry jumped, his eyes going wide.

"The odd thing Harry, and why the Headmaster wanted you to have a Normal life, is that the man who killed them tried to hit you with the same curse. You lived, and your parents' killer seemed to just vanish. Almost everyone in the Magical community thinks you killed him by turning this curse back on him! Because of this, you are famous."

Harry's jaw dropped at that, and he stared at his aunt in shock. He couldn't imagine it. How could he, as a baby, have reflected something known as an 'unblock-able spell'? He immediately looked to Beth and saw her shaking her head at his silent question. She waved his attention back to his aunt, and he turned to Aunt Petunia, still stunned by the information.

"Was it your... friend?" his aunt asked, having noticed him looking away. He shook his head at her question, and she breathed a soft sigh.

"Well, perhaps we will figure out the mystery later, yes? There are some other things now to go over. One of them is that Lily actually married into a very well off family in the magical world. I believe the Potter line is supposed to be a 'Founding Family' or some such and hold quite a bit of political sway in the Magical world. I'm not entirely sure on the influence mind you, nor of the status other than that. I _did_ avoid them." Harry nodded at that.

"Now, you need to understand that you need to be respectful to anyone you meet because of this. With the Potter family being 'Old Blood,' a certain level of manners is expected. Even if you don't want to be friends with them, try to be polite. I say this not just because you could need an alliance with them later on but also because..." she sighed and looked over at him.

"Harry, the Headmaster doesn't believe that the monster that killed your parents has died, seeing as how no one actually found his body. Also, several people who were his followers are still free. They were supposedly under a spell that takes away a person's free will. I don't know how many are free that simply paid off their judges; if it can happen in our world I don't doubt it can happen in the magical world, so there is a chance that there are people who will want you dead or will want to use your fame for their benefit. Be _Careful_ and try to build allies where you can. You may even meet the kids of those who were...Death Eaters, I think he called them? At any rate, try to keep this in mind 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' Do you understand? I don't want to lose you too. I know I haven't shown you much love Harry, but I DO care about you, and I don't want you to be hurt or killed, especially if the Headmaster is correct."

Harry nodded again at his Aunt's words and looked at the letter that he held in his hand. She stood slowly and let out another sigh as she patted her dress.

"I have to go respond to the letter. I refuse to take you to get your supplies, the memories would be too much for me, and besides, I never went into the Alley," she said softly.

Harry nodded and then stood up to move over to his aunt. He carefully hugged her before stepping back and looking up at her watery eyes.

"Aunt 'Tuney, I'm sure mum forgives you. I do. I love you," he said and gave her another hug. His aunt's eyes watered up even more at that, and she nodded at him with a weak smile before going back into the house.

Harry sat back down on the bench and turned the letter over in his hands a few times before opening it and reading over:

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin; First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, and Head Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards.)_

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find_

_enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress._

Harry carefully folded the letter back up and put it back in its envelope. He would check the contents of his supplies list later. Harry turned to look at Beth, who had taken a seat beside him and leaned against her. To him, she was as solid as his Aunt, and he could find comfort in her arms while his thoughts spun with the information that currently overloaded his brain.

"How did I live when mum and dad didn't?" he asked in a bewildered voice as Beth ran her fingers through his untamed hair.

"I'm not certain, but the Headmaster's theory is most likely what happened," she said softly.

"What did he think, and is he the Lemon-drop man?" Harry asked.

"Yes, dear Harry, he is the Lemon-drop man." she laughed softly at his title for the elderly man.

"Your mother was very skilled in charms," Beth tapped the scar on Harry's forehead lightly. "This scar looks like the rune that is called Sowilo. Sowilo was used by ancient witches and wizards in several different ways. If used one way, it is a shield. Used in another way, it is a sword. It is the rune of active triumph and of warding from wounds and defeat. The Headmaster believes that as she died, she cast a protective charm on you, and that charm forced the magic of the killing curse to reflect onto the wizard who cast it. Her magic and the magic of that killing curse combined to create the mark, at least in theory. We don't actually know for sure, mind you, but it is the most reasonable possibility."

Harry nodded a bit at that before looking up at the setting sun. _My old life is over_ , he thought to himself, _and my new life begins, filled with a danger I'm not sure I can handle._ He sighed and cuddled closer to his friend as they watched the sunset together.

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Review, please?


	4. Secret Keepers and Giants

Harry Potter and the Imaginary Friend

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF ('Imaginary' Friend) however are mine :)

Edited as of 11/16/2019.

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Chapter Three: Secret Keepers and Giants.

The next morning Harry woke up later than usual. He'd had a hard time sleeping due to his excitement about going to a Wizarding school. A Wizarding school! Still dazed and excited by such news, he got dressed and made his way downstairs to the kitchen to make a small breakfast for himself. He then shuffled out to sit on the couch and started to nibble at his food. His Aunt woke up while he was still eating and smiled at him before she readied some tea for them to share as they waited. The person Aunt Petunia had called to take Harry to get his supplies would hopefully be arriving soon. Dudley was still dead to the world and wouldn't be up for another hour or so, so they ate and enjoyed their tea in relative silence.

Harry glanced at the time and saw that it was still only around eight-thirty in the morning. The silence in the room was becoming a bit strained, and he wondered if there was anything he could ask his Aunt while they waited. Harry got a thoughtful look on his face and then nodded to himself after a moment of contemplation. He looked up at his Aunt, lowering his cup to his lap.

"Aunt Aunt Petunia?" he asked slowly.

"Hmm? Yes, Harry?" she turned to look at him, her empty cup sitting in front of her. She'd yet to fill it back up.

 _Strange_ , he thought. _Aunt Aunt Petunia loves her tea. I hope she's okay._

"You said yesterday that I have to be careful with who I trust, right?" he asked. She nodded in response. "Do you know anyone I can or should trust?"

She blinked at that and nodded slowly even as she tilted her head in thought.

"Yes. There is the Headmaster, of course, Dumbledore," she started. "Now, if he says you can trust someone, then take his advice to heart even if they seem questionable. I... have not always been the best judge myself and have even been surprised to find that... that people that I would normally not have associated with eventually became valued friends. Our neighbor, Mrs. Figg, for example. Used to think she was a nutter with all those cats of hers. I didn't know they were magical. And smart. At any rate, the Headmaster seems to be rarely wrong about a person's true nature from what I have heard. Make your own choice, but at least take his advice to heart. Then there's Hagrid as well. He'll... he'll be the one taking you to get your school supplies today."

Her face grew a bit more pinched than usual. It was as if she'd suddenly bitten into a lemon. Harry had to hide a grin at the look on her face. Really, since things had changed, she'd rarely had a reason to look so... so miffed with something. Or someone. He wondered who could have possibly annoyed her so severely to have her making such an expression now.

"There was a boy Lily was friends with. He lived down the road from us. A fellow with the last name of Snape. He was always hanging out with her, and I think...well, that's of no concern now. The past is the past," she huffed before continuing. "He was a git growing up though and is probably a git even now. Never liked your father mind you, not from what Lily told me when she got to complaining about the two. They fought like cats and dogs when they could, but because of that friendship with your mother, I'd think that you can trust him if you find that you need help."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and then sighed. Beth reached over from beside him and ruffled his hair a bit. Aunt Petunia stiffened when she noticed the sudden movement of his hair and looked away from him to stare at the walls again. He glanced at his cuppa and pouted slightly. He wished that she wouldn't do that, but also understood thanks to Beth that he shouldn't pester her too strongly about her point of view on the matter. He suddenly recalled something that Beth mentioned previously and looked back up at his Aunt.

"Beth told me that I have a godfather?" he asked slowly. "Is he dead too?"

He saw his Aunt stiffen, and a look of outright anger flashed over her face. She stood up abruptly, banging her knee against the low table in front of her and almost causing her tea to spill. Harry shifted back as far from her as he could when she suddenly started to pace around the room. He'd only seen his Aunt this angry a handful of times. He looked at Beth and saw pure confusion on his Imaginary's face. She shrugged her shoulders as she met his gaze.

"Don't know why she's so pissed, dear Harry. Let's give her a moment, yeah?" she said. Harry nodded at that, and they both settled down to wait while Aunt Petunia regained some semblance of control.

She finally seemed to calm down enough to speak and turned back to Harry while reflexively straightening her hair and clothes.

"Your godfather's name is Sirius Black. That foul piece of... filth betrayed your parents to their killer," she said in a cold and detached tone of voice that made Harry shiver. "He was..." She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Dumbledore said there is a kind of spell that allows a place to become 'hidden.' You need a... some kind of a 'Secret Keeper' to perform the spell and make a particular building... un-locatable? Un-traceable? Anyway, Black was their 'Keeper' and betrayed them. It's his fault that my sister is dead!"

Beth had gone deathly still as soon as Aunt Petunia started to speak. By the time Aunt Petunia had actually finished talking, her eyes were glowing a bright green, and the black pupils were gone as well. As Harry watched, the green glow spread outwards, leaving the light itself to replace the very white of her eyes.

"LIES!" she shouted, almost growled, really. The noise caused Harry to jump and spill his tea. He scrambled over to Aunt Petunia's side, having only seen Beth this angry during the 'Event.' "Sirius was not the Secret Keeper! How could you say such a thing!? Why would they arrest the man? Did they even hold a trial for him to find out that truth?! Or did they just throw him into jail?!"

Aunt Petunia started at Harry's sudden movement and wrapped her arm around his shoulders to hold him close. They both went still as several items in the house began to fload about an inch above their respective spots. Harry could feel the unintentional pull on his core as the objects lifted into the air, but the draw wasn't all that much in truth. Harry stuttered a moment before forcing out Beth's response to that his Aunt was aware of what was going on. He looked up to his Aunt, who had gone pale at the relayed words. She slumped onto the couch behind her taking Harry with her as she did so. They were left sitting in an undignified heap. Beth seemed to realize she was scaring them both and took slow breaths to calm herself. Everything settled back into its proper place moments later.

"I don't know if he had a trial or not," Aunt Petunia finally said in a soft voice. "I didn't ask. I thought he deserved what he got, being tossed in prison for betraying Lily. He wasn't their Keeper? Truly? Oh, my word."

"Twas not Black. Harry had chosen me before they hid under Fidelius. I saw the spell cast myself. Twas Pettigrew who was to guard their Secret Place," Beth said through clenched teeth. Harry relayed her words automatically, his voice flat with shock.

"Ah. That would explain why Black went after him then. Most thought he was trying to kill a witness to what he had caused. Instead, he knew what had happened and wanted to avenge them," Aunt Petunia was blinking rapidly as she processed the information. Harry was quite stunned by the situation.

"So, he's wrongly imprisoned?" Harry asked his Aunt hesitantly, feeling a little bit of hope for this unknown godfather of his.

"Yes, and no Harry." His Aunt let out a sigh and smoothed out her dress. "It seems from what your friend says he is innocent of your parents' deaths, but in his grief, he apparently chased after Pettigrew and killed him and several normal people, muggles they call us. Ideally, he could claim a Temporary Insanity defense, but would still most likely have had jail time."

Beth nodded in agreement at that and sighed. "Ya know my way's Harry. Justice is important to me, but one must follow the laws of the land. Your Godfather is innocent of one crime but looks to be guilty of another from what your Aunt has told us. We must confirm if he had a trial, however, especially if he is still being blamed for the death of your parents. At the very least, we can acquit him of that charge, and hopefully, we can alleviate his sentence for the other charges against him."

Harry nodded and again relayed Beth's words to his Aunt. They then fell into a contemplative silence. They stayed that way for several minutes before a sudden booming knock sounded at the front door, which caused all three of them to jump in surprise. They all laughed at their reactions, and Harry shared a bemused look with Beth before Aunt Petunia stood to open the door to reveal a giant of a man standing on the front porch.

Aunt Petunia let out a startled shout at the sight in front of her and hurried him into the house, muttering about telling him to come dressed as a 'normal.' He had to duck to avoid hitting the door frame but eased inside comfortably enough. Though, he had to stoop constantly to avoid banging his head against the ceiling. Dudley had run down the stairs, having been woken by the knock. He froze midway down the stairs with an undignified squeak at the sight of the giant man.

Harry blinked a bit himself, startled at the man's appearance, he was definitely not expecting this! He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be able to fit in the house, even stooped as he was. His hair was either black or dark brown and was bushy but looked to have been tamed as much as possible, he had a matching thick beard that seemed to hide his face. His beady eyes were a deep brown that made them appear to be black. He wore a large fur coat to fight off the chill of the morning but otherwise looked quite normal despite his sheer size.

"Might cold today, tried to straighten up much as I could there like ya asked Mrs. Dursley!" The man said with a grin.

"It's Ms. Evans again, Hagrid," Aunt Petunia said a bit stiffly.

"Ah, right. Sorry 'bout that! Awful thing that happened," Hagrid shuffled over as he could and started to sit down on the couch. Harry let out a shout to stop him as Beth frantically scrambled away from her previous seat.

"Blimey, what's all the shoutin' for 'Arry?" Hagrid asked in surprise.

"You...um...you almost sat on Beth," Harry said shyly.

"Beth?" Hagrid looked around with a frown. "I don' see any animals..."

Hagrid broke off, and his eyes widened comically as he turned back to Harry. He then broke out into a booming laugh and slammed his hand against his knee.

"'Arry, you're not havin' me on are ya! Ya have an Imaginary?! That's great, that is! The best friend a wizard or witch could ever ask for." He roared.

Harry and Aunt Aunt Petunia simply nodded, and Harry had to bite back his laughter at Beth's affronted look. She looked like she was still quite upset about almost being sat on. It didn't hurt her from what she'd told him, but she could feel when someone walked through her and said it was a very disconcerting feeling. She noted that it was similar to a ghost walking through a person and that he might very well know the feeling if he wasn't careful while at Hogwarts.

"Here now, 'Arry, let me look at ya!" Harry grinned a bit and moved closer to Hagrid. After a moment, Hagrid looked like he was about to cry, and his voice was thick with emotion. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby! Look a lot like your dad ya do, but you got your mum's eyes."

"That he does." Aunt Petunia said softly. "Hagrid we have something important to share that you MUST take to Dumbledore after you get Harry's supplies, do you understand me?"

"Blimey, something big? I'll get it right ter him, ya have my word P'tunia." Hagrid sat up a bit straighter and took on a serious expression.

"Beth, Harry's Imaginary, says she was there for that Secret Keeper spell that Lily and James cast. She says Sirius Black was not the Keeper, Pettigrew was."

"SAY WHAT?!"

Hagrid shouted and stood up abruptly, banging his head against and through the ceiling, which caused Harry and Dudley, both of whom were staying quiet until that moment, to break into laughter. There was muffled shouting as Hagrid struggled to get free and as he did get himself loose bits of the ceiling fell to the ground, so many white bits were stuck to his hair and beard that he looked like he'd been walking through a snow storm.

"...Bugger all! Sorry, P'tunia, language, I know." He said quickly when he saw Aunt Petunia's angry face. "Sorry 'bout the ceilin' too. Lemme fix that."

He took out an umbrella from under his coat and waved it at the ceiling while muttering something under his breath. The hole disappeared with a small sputtering flash. The boys oohed at the display of magic.

"I'd ah...really appreciate if ya don't mention that ter anyone at Hogwart's." Harry nodded his head quickly, quite in awe still at the display. Aunt Petunia let out a small huff at that.

"Alright, then. Make's a bit of sense if he went after Pettigrew like he did if he knew 'bout that. Dunno how much good he did considerin' the blast killed several muggles, but I'll be tellin' Dumbledore the news. Harry," Hagrid turned to him at that. "Ya be glad you have an Imaginary, rare to have one these days, but the Ministry's got a mirror that'll show a Wizard or Witches Imaginary an' we can get her testimony right quick. We'll do what we can for yer godfather, ya hear? Let's be off then, gotta get to Gringotts."

Harry nodded at that. He moved to follow Hagrid as he left the house. He was happy that they would have a way to prove his godfather was innocent when it came to involvement in his parents' death and saddened that they might not be able to do more for him since it was likely he had still caused the deaths of several people.

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please review!


	5. Galleons and Goblins

Harry Potter and the Imaginary Friend

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(  
Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

For those who have any questions, I want to cover this now. As you may realize, Harry is going to Diagon Alley at least a week or so before his birthday, so Hagrid will not be picking up the Stone just yet. No meet and greet with Quirell either. :P

Also, on his birthday, he met Draco at Madam Malkin's when he got his robes. I will still have him meeting Draco, but not there as Draco is not getting his robes just yet.

Edit as of 11/16/2019

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Chapter Four: Galleons and Goblins

"Alright there, Harry?" Hagrid asked in a concerned voice as they got off the Knight Bus.

Harry waved his hand to Hagrid as he leaned against a street lamp. Harry was quite pale after that wild ride and was struggling to keep his breakfast down. He straightened up finally and gave Hagrid a weak grin. Hagrid smiled in response and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, leading him over to a very run-down looking pub that sat between a large book store and a record store to either side. The other people on the street seemed to pass by the place without even looking at it. Harry had the feeling that only he, Hagrid, and Beth could see it.

Harry's eyes widened with realization, and he spun around to look for Beth. She was sitting at the edge of the sidewalk with her head between her knees. Her flame-colored hair hid her face, and he moved over to stand beside her. Hagrid had started for the pub, but when he saw that Harry wasn't following him, he moved to stand beside Harry.

"Yer Imaginary doin' alright? The Knight bus can be real harsh on new timers," Hagrid's voice was a gentle rumble.

"Tell him I will be fine, dear Harry. Merely need a moment," Beth mumbled loud enough for Harry to hear.

Harry relayed her message, and the two Magical's stood side by side, watching the flow of pedestrian traffic for several minutes. Beth finally stood and brushed her dress off even though there was no dirt upon it. She turned to Harry with a stern, yet pale, look on her face.

"Unless it is an emergency, we are never traveling that way again," she said firmly.

Harry nodded in agreement, having not really enjoyed the reality-bending ride, and the three moved over to the pub.

"Welcome ta the Leaky Cauldron. Famous place it is," Hagrid said with a nod.

Harry and Beth both looked a bit doubtful. The outside of the place was worn and very much in neat of a new coat of paint. As they stepped inside and their eyes acclimated to the dim light within, their joint opinion didn't change much. Oh, the place was clean, no doubt about that, but the chairs, tables, and counters all looked to be old and worn, antique even. They both paused as the chatter died instantly upon their entrance into the establishment. Of course, the residents all looked friendly enough, each one waving or calling out a hello to Hagrid.

"Looks like our friend visits here often, eh?" Beth said softly.

"Your usual, Hagrid?" The bartender started to reach for an empty glass.

"Can't today, Tom, on Hogwarts business," Hagrid said as his hand moved to settle on Harry's shoulder. Harry saw Beth facepalm out of the corner of one eye.

At first, he didn't understand why she did that until he heard Tom's resultant 'Good Lord...is this? Can it be?.' The next thing he knew, the residents of the pub were swarming around him and Hagrid like a bunch of ants that had found a sugar cube. He was tempted to laugh as he saw Beth frantically trying to dodge everyone. She was forced onto the bar top itself to avoid people and was letting out a steady stream of insults. Mostly things like 'big oaf,' 'stupid git,' and 'bring unwanted attention on Harry.' He tuned her out to try to pay attention to the excited crowd around him.

"Bless my soul, Harry Potter...what an honor," was whispered from the old bartender before he rushed around the bar and shook Harry's hand with a trembling grip. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back!"

"Can't believe I'm meetin' Harry Potter himself!" one woman said.

"So proud, Mr. Potter, so proud!" one man said with a broad, somewhat drunken grin.

"...I'm all aflutter!" called out another woman's voice.

The voices all seemed to blend as the crowd bustled around Harry and Hagrid. Harry was faintly amused that several people kept coming back as if through a line to shake his hand again. Mostly though, he felt distinctly overwhelmed. His Aunt had warned him he was well known for the defeat of a dark wizard, but this kind of welcome seemed a bit much. Hagrid's voice finally boomed out to separate the crowd.

"Alright, then. Must get on. Lots to buy! Come along, Harry," Hagrid said in a loud voice. "Excuse us, make way, please, will ya?"

Hagrid kept a firm grip on Harry's shoulder and guided him through the crowd to the exit at the back of the pub. Beth followed them, careful to avoid anyone who tried to follow them to the door. Hagrid led Harry and Beth over to the brick wall, and both of them waited, mildly confused, while Hagrid seemed to start counting the bricks out in some kind of pattern.

"Have you been here before Beth?" Harry whispered to his friend.

"No. You're parents went into hiding shortly after I bonded to you, they weren't able to leave often and even when they could leave they did not take you them, thus I could not follow them."

Harry nodded a bit at that. She'd told him before that she was isolated to either the grounds of the building that he resided in or a half-mile radius of his current location. A building he 'resided in' would have to be a building he spent at least four hours a day within, if not longer. That would count his old primary school, the house on Privet Drive, and soon Hogwarts castle. She would then be able to patrol the building and grounds to watch for any potential danger and would then be able to report said danger to him. It was how he'd been able to avoid a majority of his cousins' 'Harry hunting' moods previously.

He also knew from previous conversations with Beth that she would always be 'his' Imaginary. Becoming an Imaginary was a stepping block for the people in her realm to obtain higher ranks. It showed that they could be responsible for the mental well being for another, though for magical's, it was another's mental and physical well being. He knew it was a one time chance to prove their worth, and as such, the Imaginary would only be able to traverse to their world to bond with a singular individual. She never would tell him what 'rank' each Imaginary was trying to achieve by bonding with an individual in his realm. Still, he was bursting with curiosity about her realms ways and history.

He turned back into the reality around him when he heard the grinding sound of brick against brick. He looked back to Hagrid, and his eyes widened as he watched the blocks shift and meld into a wide archway that led to a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," Hagrid said with a smile and a wave toward the street. "to Diagon Alley."

Hagrid led them down the twisting street that was bustling with activity. The passed a shop selling cauldrons of all sizes and all types; pewter, copper, brass, and silver! Harry wondering why in the world one would need a silver cauldron! Then he wondered if there were gold cauldrons. He was about to ask Hagrid when the Apothecary caught his eyes. Signs were up listing ingredients like Beetles Eyes and Dragon's Liver. His eyes widened a bit at the last, and then a loud 'HOOT' caused him to jump and whip his head back the other way. Eelops Owl Emporium was the next shop selling owls of different breeds; Tawny, Screech, Brown, and more! The next shop sold brooms, several kids were clusters around the display window and talking excitedly to each other. There was just so much around him!

"...Nimbus Two Thousand!"

"...fastest ever!"

"...wish I could get it!"

Harry blinked a bit at that realizing that witches on brooms was a real thing and then went back to looking around, his head whipping back and forth. There was a shop for robes, for quills and parchment, potion bottles of glass or crystal, books of spells, and so much more! Only the gentle nudges from Beth kept him moving forward, but he came to a halt when he saw the massive building they were approaching and let out a squeak at the sight.

The building was a pure white like untouched snow. It towered over all the other buildings in the alley. The doors were a burnished bronze color, and to one side of the entryway, in a uniform of scarlet and gold, stood a...

"Yeah, that's a goblin. Be respectful like," Hagrid murmured to Harry as they walked up the white steps to the main doors.

The goblin guard was a good head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, intelligent face, a pointed beard, and long fingers. He had a look about him that made Harry think of a wise and witty old pirate. The goblin bowed to them as they walked inside to a small hall with yet another set of doors, silver this time. There were engraved words upon the door, and Harry paused a moment to read them;

_'Enter, stranger, but take heed,  
Of what awaits the sin of greed.  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors,  
A treasure that was never yours  
Thief, you have been warned, beware,  
Of finding more than treasure there.'_

"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," Hagrid said as they passed through the silver doors.

"Oh indeed, Dear Harry," said Beth with an almost cold grin. "Goblins are known even in our realm for their skills with traps and their love of gold. Show respect at all times, as Hagrid said."

Harry nodded at her and tried to look around the room a bit more cautiously then he was naturally inclined to. There was at least a hundred goblins within the main room sitting on tall stools behind a long counter, some scribbling away in large ledgers, some counting out coins. He saw a bushy-haired girl with her parents exchanging British pounds for the coins one goblin was counting. Several goblins were leading their customers down to different doors or leading them back from said many doors. Hagrid lead them over to the counter and a goblin that didn't look to be busy.

"Morning to ya," Hagrid said with a smile. "We're here ter make a withdrawal from Mr. 'Arry Potter's safe."

"You have his Key then, sir?" the goblin asked with a sneer.

"Yep, let's see. Put it in this pocket if I remember right," Hagrid reached into one of his pockets and then into another. And then another. And then yet another!

"How many pockets does he have?" Beth asked both in surprise and irritation.

Harry shrugged in response and then started as Hagrid pulled out a tiny gold key and a _mouse!_ He handed the Key to the goblin, then gave the mouse an affectionate pet before putting it back in his pocket. Harry was surprised that the mouse made no move to get away but happily went back into the pocket it came from. Beth and Harry shared an equally skeptical look at the bizarre event.

"Everything looks to be in order," The goblin said, and he turned to call over his shoulder. "Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin who offered them a polite bow and led them toward one of the doors. Beyond the door was a narrow stone passageway lit by flaming torches. The passage sloped steeply downwards and had little railway tracks on it. Harry wondered what the point of the tracks were without a cart, but then Griphook whistled.

They all piled into the cart, and Griphook gave a start when the cart expanded to hold not three but four individuals though Hagrid still has some difficulties getting settled. Griphook puffed up slightly, and a very nasty sneer came to his lips.

"Whoever you are, you had best leave now before the protections kick in," he growled.

"I am no Thief!" Beth said in an affronted tone and looked to Harry.

"Sorry, sir, she's my Imaginary," Harry said quickly. "Will the protections hurt her? Does she need to stay here?"

"Ah, truly? An Imaginary?" Griphook's face smoothed back out, and he gave what Harry assumed was a smile toward the extra seat where Beth sat. If it was a smile, it seemed more like a lesser sneer.

"We have our magics set to accept and accommodate those with an Imaginary. She?" Harry nodded. "She will be fine. Though, as a note, Mr. Potter, do not ask if we know of anyone else with an Imaginary, it is a private matter for a witch or wizard."

"Oh! Of course, Mr. Griphook! Thank you for the warning, I don't want to end up being rude," Harry said with a grin.

Griphook nodded in response to Harry's thanks, and then they were off. Harry was reminded of the time he and Dudley had ridden the roller coaster the year before and let out a whoop of joy as they whizzed at high speed down the tunnel. There was a roar and burst of fire at one point, and Harry tried to twist around to see if it was a dragon or not, but they had already passed the adjoining tunnel the noise came from. They came to a sudden halt in front of a door. Harry climbed out of the cart with another whoop of joy and bounced up and down on his feet.

"That was fantastic!" he shouted and turned to look eagerly at the others.

Hagrid was looking green and stumbled over to lean against the stone wall, pressing his forehead to the cool stone reacting much the way that Harry and Beth had reacted earlier to the bus. Beth looked fine as she exited the cart and looked faintly amused at Hagrid's reaction. Harry looked between the two and suddenly frowned.

"Hey, why is he sick now, and we aren't? When we were on the Knight Bus, I was a bit off, and you got ill after the ride, and Hagrid was fine!" He asked in a curious voice.

"The Knight Bus, squished together to get us through tight spots, thus squashing us as well," Beth answered as Hagrid was still unable to talk. " _That_ was what put me off and made me feel ill. I think Hagrid is ill now because of all the 'ups' and 'downs' we just went through, the Knight Bus just went left and right mostly and if it hit any hills it wasn't noticeable. You did fine with the cart yourself Dear Harry, not so much with the Bus."

Harry thought about it a moment and then nodded. It made a certain amount of sense, and if Hagrid was used to the Knight Bus as a mode of travel, then he'd long since gotten used to the squashing sensation. Hagrid straightened up at last and signaled to Griphook that he was well enough to continue. Griphook nodded and moved to open the door. There was a billow of smoke, and as it cleared, Harry gasped in surprise. He had known from his Aunt that his father came from a wealthy family, but the amount inside still staggered him. There were mounds and mounds of gold coins, piles of silver, and then heaps of bronze. Hagrid gave Harry a nudge to get him inside and gave him a bag.

"Alright, time for a little lesson, 'Arry. The gold ones are Galleons, the silver ones Sickles an' the bronze are Knuts. Seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. We're goin' to take enough to last for a few terms, so you don't have to come down here too often."

"But, the cart ride was fun!" Harry said with a grin.

"You'll be needin' someone to come with ya each time 'Arry," Hagrid said, going a little green again. "I'd rather not be put through that more then I have ta."

Harry laughed in response and helped Hagrid fill the bag he'd brought. It seemed to hold more than was possible, but Harry put that thought aside. They headed back for the cart.

"Can we go slower headin' back?" Hagrid asked in a hopeful voice as they piled into the cart.

"One speed only." came Griphook's reply. Harry let out another whoop, Beth laughed, and Hagrid whimpered.

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Please review! I do appreciate the feedback! I'll be trying to put out several chapters a week. :)


	6. Purebreds and Purebloods

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

No one else looking to vote on the Sirius/Snape thing? No one else with ideas for Harry's beau? Sad Panda!

Yay review!

excalibur's fire: Good questions all. Imaginary's show to children or those with child-like minds, thus you could find an Imaginary binding to an adult if they have a child-like mentality.

Imaginary's WILL NOT attach themselves to a Sociopathic or Psychopath child, whether they are like that by nature or nurture. If an Imaginary is attached to a child from birth and that child, despite having their Imaginary, goes Socio/Psycho (Ie: torturing animals/people and collecting 'spoils'), they will leave that child as their own laws forbid them from helping dark wizards. An Imaginary that stays in that situation? _Bad things_ happen to the Imaginary. I hope this will answer if Riddle boy has one. :P

In a household with siblings, it is possible to have an Imaginary for each kid, but usually only if the siblings do not get along, AT ALL. IE: twin boy and girl, no friendship between the two, possibly even hate between the two, girl receives a Cat Imaginary, boy gets a Frog Imaginary.

While Harry will not be able to see another's Imaginary, Beth will be able to see her fellows. However, as it is a private matter, she would not reveal who has an Imaginary unless it is an emergency of epic proportions. Of course, it would be easy to peg another person with an Imaginary if they are talking to thin air constantly. And she might very well know some of the other Imaginary's.

Edit as of 11/18/2019

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Chapter Five: purebreds and Purebloods.

After the visit to Gringotts, Hagrid led Harry to get his robes, potion supplies, books, parchment, and quills. Harry grabbed each year of potions after seeing that it was similar to cooking but with more lethal consequences. He figured it would be fun to look through it in his spare time. The resultant pile of supplies in Harry's arms prompted Hagrid to quickly lead him over to a shop selling trunks and bags with expanded insides.

Harry decided to get a trunk with two 'drawers'. When the lid was opened one way, it would get him access to his clothes. When opened the other way, he could get to the supplies that he'd purchased. While the trunk wasn't charmed to be weightless, there _was_ a charm on it to shrink it down when he twisted the crest. Upon turning said crest, the trunk shrank down to the size of a medium-thick paperback book. Harry grinned at that and fiddled with the crest for a few moments, the image of a sleeping dragon, fascinated by the charm before a small thunk to his head from Beth made him realize he was probably wasting Hagrid's time.

The next stop was to the wand shop, Ollivander's. Harry found himself leaving that shop feeling a mite bit uncomfortable. Oh, he got a beautiful wand, don't get him wrong; Holly wood and Phoenix feather core, eleven inches and supple, but what left him uncomfortable was finding out that his wand was considered a 'brother' wand to the one that had been used to kill his parents. The reason the wands were considered 'brothers,' was that their cores had been provided by the same phoenix. Said phoenix had only given two feathers to Ollivander. Beth also seemed to be a bit put out by that information and shook her head as they left the shop.

"Fate," she'd said with a wry, yet dark, tone, "has a bad habit of kicking your feet out from under you and landing you in a pile of dung. I don't like it. Nor do I like the fact that these people cannot say the fool's name."

Harry had nodded a bit at her words, agreeing that it seemed silly. Why be afraid of someone's name? He'd found out that his parent's killer was simply referred to by most as 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' instead of by his actual name. It took some wheedling, but he finally got the Dark Wizard's name out of Hagrid, Voldemort.

"That cannot be his real name," Beth had said slowly with a frown.

"Why's that?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head.

"The name, it translates to either 'Theft from Death' or 'Flight from Death.' It sounds like a self-assigned moniker more then anything a parent would name a child. Though wizards can be a bit odd with names at times," Beth flashed him a wry grin.

"Huh, maybe," Harry said thoughtfully.

Hagrid had then interrupted their contemplation and led Harry over to the Owl emporium with a grin of white teeth flashing in the bushy beard. Harry and Hagrid both had to move out of the way to let out a happy, bushy-haired girl with a kitten in her arms. She was quickly followed out by her parents. Hagrid took the time to turn to Harry and clear his throat.

"I know yer birthdays 'bout a week away still 'Arry but I wanted ter get ya a gift while we're here," Beth stopped Harry's immediate reaction, which would have been to politely decline Hagrid's offer, by placing a hand on his shoulder and giving a small squeeze. "Eeylop's carries owls mainly, but they also carry toad's an' cats. Toads went outta fashion a while back, and cats make me sneeze so I'll be gettin' ya an' owl. Dead useful too, carry yer mail an' everythin'! You go on an' look at the other critters while I get yer owl."

Harry nodded, and then he and Beth moved further into the shop while Hagrid turned immediately to go to the owl area. Harry passed right by the toads after a glance at the plain-looking amphibians and went straight for the cats. He had a fondness for kittens. Harry saw a boy leaning over a small container filled with pure black kittens and was petting the happily mewing forms. He was pale with a pointy face, white-blond hair, and pale blue eyes. Harry carefully reached to pet some of the black kittens as well.

"Beautiful, aren't they? Purebred the whole lot!" The boy said with a smug grin as he glanced up at Harry. "Eeylop's is finally moving up by selling these."

"What's wrong with a good tabby?" Harry asked with a startled blink.

"This lot aren't purebred," was the response along with a dismissive wave toward the tabbies. "Like Muggleborns, inferior stock," the boy frowned a bit. "Well, better then muggle-borns from what my father says. Muggle-borns steal magic from purebloods, which is why we end up with squibs!"

"Well, that doesn't make sense," Harry said with a frown at the boy.

"Fine then, what DOES make sense?" the boy stood and crossed his arms.

"Um... alright, so... from what I know magic is genetic. Like being born to parents where your mom is red-headed, but your dad is blonde, then... then you have an equal chance to be a redhead or a blonde, right?"

The boy nodded. There was a small sneer on his lips but didn't dispute the logic.

"Ok, so let's use the cats. Black cats are magical, and the tabbies are muggles, right? So you," Harry pointed at the boy, "have a pair of black cats. They have a litter, and one of them is a tabby, the tabby goes off on its own to find its own mate and have its own family. Now I have a pair of black cats and end up with a tabby as well, and that one does its own thing."

The boy nodded again, the sneer on his face starting to fade as he followed along with Harry's reasoning.

"Now let's say that it's been about oh, fifteen generations since then, and the non-magic Descendents of our magic cats get together. They have a litter of five, four of which are tabbies, but one is solid black. The new owner traces the litters back and then finds that there are black cats in the genetic history of her tabbies. See? No theft, just dormant genes becoming dominant over time," He could see a very proud look on Beth's face at his solid reasoning from where she stood leaning against the wall.

The blonde boy blinked again at Harry's reasoning, not able to find any immediate fault with the logic in his argument. He finally shook his head, though, and threw up his hands.

"We don't have a way to prove if your right, though," he said primly.

"We might!" Harry said with a grin as he bounced on his toes at a sudden idea. "You said you're a pureblood yourself, right? So that means you keep a family tree, right?"

"Of course!" the boy said as if offended that Harry thought otherwise.

"Muggles sometimes keep family trees, too. Sometimes really exten... exte... ones that go back years and _years_. So we try to find a muggle-born, see if their family has kept a family tree, and ask them if we can view it to see if they trace things far back enough to find a potential magical ancestor. If they don't have a family tree, we ask another muggle-born."

The boy looked thoughtful for several minutes and then grinned almost coldly.

"Twenty galleons," he said abruptly.

"What?" Harry blinked a few times in confusion.

"Twenty Galleons, IF you're right. Unless you can't afford it," the boys' sneer was back.

Harry felt a small flash of anger at his tone but quickly pushed it down and held out his hand in response.

"Agreed. If we DO find a Squib in a Muggle-borns family tree, you owe me twenty galleons, the tree has to go back at least twenty generations though, preferably more. If we don't find anything, I'll owe you twenty galleons. We both have to be there to ask. We both have to agree on which muggle-born, and... and we DO NOT bully them into giving us the information. Also, if I'm right, you help me publish the findings as a joint venture between us, agreed?"

"Fine, as if this would work anyway. Draco Malfoy," Draco reached to shake Harry's hand and seal the deal.

"Harry Potter, pleased to meet you."

Draco's eyes widened comically at that, and he looked almost as if he was about to faint as his grip went limp in Harry's hand.

Beth was chuckling softly as they left the emporium several minutes later with Harry's new snowy owl who had her head tucked under one wing, sleeping. Hagrid had seemed a bit put out to see Harry talking to Draco. There was a bit of bad blood apparently between Draco's dad and Hagrid, which led to Hagrid explaining that he had giant blood. That lead to Beth half-exclaiming, half-begging to herself for Hagrid to tell her that his mother was the GIANT and not the HUMAN much to Harry's confusion. Especially so given that she refused to explain what she meant and, in the end, told Harry NOT to relay her words to the man. Still, he'd nodded when he found out that Harry was trying to change Draco's mind about muggle-borns with the genetic theory he'd presented to the other boy.

"Be good ta take some o' the wind outta his sails! Ya got a good head on yer shoulders Harry, just like yer mum," Hagrid said with a grin.

Hagrid had then been intending to take him back home to Privet drive right away, but a shop with magical jewelry caught Harry's eyes, and he darted inside before he could be stopped. Beth and Hagrid both forced to follow.

"Harry, what in the world are you coming in here for?" Beth asked with a frown.

"THIS!" Harry said with an awed voice.

He was pointing to a small pendant style necklace. The pendant was a single small lily between five equally little petunias. As they watched, the flowers would slowly bloom and then fold back to buds. When the flowers were closed, the closed petals of the petunias were gold, and the lily was silver. When they were open in full bloom, the petunias petals were amethysts, and the lily's petals were mother of pearl. The shop owner came over and showed them that if they pressed a small mark on the back of the necklace that it would freeze the flowers mid-bloom.

"How much miss?" He asked softly.

"Fifty galleons, but well worth it," the shop-keeper responded with a smile. "There are some protection charms on it, they will stop minor hexes, jinxes and curses. None of the big ones will be stopped mind you, but it'll protect from most child pranks. Great for a gift for your mother or female relation."

"I'll take it," Harry said with a grin, handing over the requested galleons.

He walked out of the shop, still smiling, hoping that his aunt would love the gift, even if it was magical it was jewelry, and it served a beneficial purpose if one of his spells went awry while he practiced. They headed out of the Alley and back through the Leaky Cauldron, thankfully Hagrid guided him straight through the eager throng of patrons and back out to the main street with the genuine excuse of having to get him back home.

Hagrid handed him a ticket and offered to call the Knight Bus, but Harry declined. He had just enough in pounds to get them home via taxi, and Hagrid agreed while it wasn't that fast, it might do them all some good to have some slower travel. They pulled up in front of Number Four Privet Drive, and they piled out of the taxi, Harry handing over the funds and thanking the driver. Hagrid followed Harry inside and took out a tin can. A few moments for a tearful, on Hagrids part, farewell, Hagrid said 'Whatchamacallit' and disappeared with a loud 'pop.' Petunia sighed a bit.

"At least he waited until he was inside. I can't imagine having to explain a giant of a man just disappearing from my front porch," she turned to Harry with a frown. "Where are your things?"

"Right here!" Harry grinned, setting his new owls cage down on the table and took out his shrunken trunk. Dudley moved over and poked the small chest. Petunia blinked at it as well in confusion.

" Here, let me show you," he moved over to the couch and set the trunk in the center of one cushion. He pushed Dudley back quickly when he tried to edge closer.

"No, Dudders, it's going to expand rapidly, and I don't want you getting hurt," Harry said in explanation.

Dudley nodded at that, and both he and Petunia stood back warily as Harry turned the small crest on the trunk. The trunk expanded with a sudden 'whoosh' of noise, and Dudley let out a shout and fell back while his Aunt gasped in surprise. Harry grinned at them and signaled them closer as he opened the trunk lid to show off his clothes and then closed the cover and opened it the other way to show off his school supplies. Petunia blinked in surprise and started murmuring about such a way to save space, and Dudley started rifling through his school supplies to 'ooh' and 'aah' at the different items. While Dudley was distracted, he moved over to his aunt and cleared his throat to get her attention. When she turned to him, however, he froze in momentary fear, and it took a shove from Beth to get him to move again.

"Ah, well, I got something for you, Aunt Petunia," he said, shuffling his feet a bit. "It um...I thought you'd like it. It's got some protections on it too...just some small ones."

He held out his hand and revealed the necklace in its budded state, he turned it over carefully and pointed to a small symbol. "If you press here for five seconds, it'll bloom."

Petunia took the necklace from him carefully, looking it over. She pointed to the small symbol to confirm and then pressed one finger to it and held it there for the required five-second count. She turned it back over to watch it curiously. Dudley had wandered over as well, and they all watched together as the small buds bloomed into jeweled flowers. Petunia's face went blank for a moment as she realized what kind of flowers were blooming, and then her eyes teared up with a mixture of sorrow and wonder. Aunt Petunia sat down and held the necklace out to Harry, pulling her hair up from her neck so he could clasp it around her neck. He did so, and then she stood and moved over to the mirror, the boys followed her. The necklace sat at the hollow of her throat and looked quite lovely against her pale skin. She swiped at her eyes and gave Harry a small one-armed hug.

"Thank you, Harry, this is lovely," she whispered.

"Hey cos," Dudley spoke up with a grin. "You're helpin' me find a gift next mother's day you hear me?"

They all shared a laugh at that, as Dudley's gifts normally were of the food variety. Harry nodded his head in agreement and decided that the day had gone well. Very well, indeed.

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review pls!


	7. Court rooms and Mirrors

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF(Imaginary Friend thought up for this) however are mine :)

As it is unknown if a secret keep can be forced to reveal a location under Fidelus via Imperius or Vertiaserum, I will be rolling with the possibility that it could, _maybe,_ happen. Also, I have not been able to find a middle name for Sirius, so I'm going with Orion. Seems to be the unofficial cannon to have him be an 'S.O.B.'

-Snickers-

Edit 11/17/2014.

A little bit added to flesh things out. Thank you again, everyone, for your reviews and views. 24k views in total is pretty darn amazing to me. If anyone sees anything that seems out of place or sees any spelling errors pls let me know since I'm editing things.

More edits as of 12/2019.

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Chapter Six: Courtrooms and Mirrors

The rest of Harry's summer had been going quite well thus far, in his opinion. He'd named his new owl Hedwig, after a name that he'd stumbled across in Hogwarts: A History. It suited the girl so well, and she seemed to approve wholeheartedly. Well, as wholeheartedly as an owl can. He'd even gone through his first-year potions book at least three times since he'd gotten it, two of those times with his Aunt. They'd gone over the similarities that Potions had with cooking as well as the bizarre and somehow intuitive way potions seemed to work.

His Aunt may have been intrigued by his potions books, but she refused to look over any of his other books. To her, there were no 'practical applications' to be found in the other tomes. She referred to it as 'Nonsensical wand-waving.'

Cooking, she understood quickly and easily. Chemistry was something she understood to a point, as well. As Potions seemed similar enough to both of those fields, enough for her to work with Harry when he wanted to talk about potions. She became somewhat worried after seeing that, if one put in the wrong ingredient or stirred in the wrong direction at the wrong time, a potion could become explosive. Or worse still could let loose a deadly steam/mist that could fill a room twice the size of their kitchen. His Aunt had repeatedly told him to be extremely mindful to follow the instructions and even ran him through a few 'mock' brewing sessions to make sure he'd gotten at least some of the basic potions memorized before the start of the school year. She refused to allow him to be the reason for an injury to himself or, worse still, his classmates. Especially if such an incident was preventable.

After that, though, things got a bit nerve-wracking for him.

Hagrid had kept his word and relayed Beth's information concerning his Godfather to the Lemon-Drop Man, otherwise known as Professor Dumbledore. The Headmaster was appropriately appalled at the realization that Sirius was, in fact, _not_ the Secret Keeper for the Potter family as everyone had assumed.

What made matters worse was the news that Sirius Black had _never been given a trial._ The man had been carted off to the prison of the wizarding world. A dreadful place called 'Azkaban.'

To say that both he _and_ Beth had been upset by the new would have been putting it mildly. Harry had another burst of accidental magic when Professor Dumbledore told them the news. This outburst resulted in his Dalek figurine popping from Harry's room into the den. The thing then 'blew up' to full size and started shouting 'Exterminate! Exterminate!' before spinning in circles for a few moments. Professor Dumbledore was able to cast a simple Finite Incantetem on the figurine, returning it to its proper size and inactive state.

Dudley may have found the whole thing hilarious, but Harry had ended up both embarrassed _and_ grounded with no telly for the day because of the outburst. In all honesty, he didn't mind the punishment all that much. He had time to brood over the unfairness of it all. How could they have done that to his Godfather? Whatever happened to the saying 'innocent until proven guilty?' It made his head hurt something fierce.

Another thing that agitated him was that he would have to appear in front of the Wizengamot as it was _his_ Imaginary that was the star witness for Sirius Black's official trial. From what his Aunt had said, that meant there would be reporters on site. Harry had seen enough drama shows over the years that he honestly didn't have a good opinion of reporters. Harry had not really enjoyed what attention he'd gotten while in the Leaky Cauldron either. People swarming around him adoringly? For something he couldn't even remember doing and had cost him his parents? Plus, there was the fact that it was probably something his _mother_ had done to save him, not some random explosion of magic. And that was only the reaction of a mildly crowded pub. A swarm of reporters at 'the trial of the century'? All of whom would be eager to try to 'get the scoop'? _That_ would be a waking nightmare as far as Harry was concerned.

He didn't like crowds all that much anymore.

Professor Dumbledore did his best to assure Harry. The older man would be escorting him personally to the appointed courtroom, Chamber One. He assured Harry that he didn't have to speak with the reporters if he didn't want to. Though the Professor did say to keep his responses short and to the point if he did answer questions.

The current Minister of Magic, one Cornelius Fudge, would be meeting with them after the trial. The Professor said this was to discuss what information they would be sharing regarding the court's findings on the charges. Professor Dumbledore told Harry that it had been challenging to convince Fudge to hold a public trial. He had only been able to convince the man when he pointed out that the injustice had occurred before he took office in 1990. As such, it was not Fudge's fault for having trusted the previous Ministers' judgments and that he was righting a 'terrible wrong' that had been done in sending a man to jail without a trial. Harry wasn't sure he liked the Minister all that much if he had to be _convinced_ to do the right thing.

The trail itself was set for August twentieth at Ten in the morning. Aunt Petunia had graciously offered to go with Harry as support if he desired her to. Though she looked like she'd swallowed a lemon when she made the offer.

Harry thanked her for the offer but declined. He knew that she was still uncomfortable around magic in general due. Her bad memories and guilt at her treatment of Lily made it unlikely that she'd ever truly be comfortable around magic. He was grateful that she was able to handle wearing the necklace he'd given her. Dudley, at least, was very excited to learn what he could about magic even though he would never be able to cast a spell. Harry would have to take small steps with his Aunt when it came to introducing magic into the household. He'd make sure to look into useful spells and enchantments for her.

No silly stuff.

August twentieth arrived sooner than Harry expected. Aunt Petunia got him up early and then had to help get him ready for the trial when he'd come down dressed in his usual clothes. She assisted him into the formal dress robes that he had purchased with Hagrid's help, ones with a white silk button-down shirt, sleek black silk pants, and billowing blue-black silk robes. He'd groggily questioned her on the 'why' behind having to wear his most expensive robes, and she'd bopped him lightly on the head in response. She'd frowned sternly at him as she smoothed the wrinkles in his robes out.

"Harry James Potter!" she'd started in an aggrieved tone. "While it is your Imaginary that will be speaking to the court as the witness, YOU will be there as a representative for your family. You need to look like a well-raised young man, not a hooligan in dirty clothes. A wrinkled shirt and scuffed jeans like what you'd put on is inappropriate! You need to put forth a Proper, Respectable Image."

Harry hadn't really understood why he needed to put forth a 'Proper, Respectable Image' as she'd put it. Nor did he know why she'd said the words with such intensity that he'd mentally capitalized them as a result of her tone. Still, he hadn't wanted to fight with her over it, so he let it alone as she helped him get ready. There was nothing she could do to fix his hair, unruly mess that it usually was.

Hagrid had mentioned something about a mild hair-altering curse on the men of the Potter family. Something that gave them a permanent bed-head.

Professor Dumbledore arrived promptly at nine-thirty, and they Flooed directly to the Ministry, which was an adventure in itself. The swirling sights and sounds as they traveled through the Floo was dizzying. As they arrived in the Ministry atrium, though, Harry realized that he had been right to fret about a massive crowd being there because of him. He could see a swarm of reporters, all standing around and near the entrance that led to the various courtrooms. Thankfully there was a standard security barrier in place to prevent any unwanted individuals from passing further in. The Professor was able to shepherd him and, by extension, Beth, safely through the throng of reporters with a type of spell that forced the men and women back a few paces.

Not that he could have answered any of their shouted questions. With all of them yelling at once, their words were too jumbled together. Harry doubted he would have been able to pick out a single question to answer, even if he had been inclined to do so in the first place.

They entered the courtroom to find it mostly empty save for a giant mirror with bulging things that looked like large speakers at the top corners. There were also a few 'choice' reporters that were allowed within the room, though they kept their distance after a warning look from Dumbledore. The last person he noticed in the room was a worn, tired-looking man in a faded brown robe. His face was kindly looking with many laugh lines and worry lines. The man's eyes were a darker green then Harry's, and his hair was a light brown flecked with grey highlights. He'd been sitting slumped in his seat when they entered the room, and at the sight of Harry, he seemed to freeze and then perk up with a kind of joy that Harry was unaccustomed to seeing when someone recognized him. It wasn't that he recognized a celebrity. It was the look of someone spotting an old friend or fond acquaintance.

"Harry? Is that really you?" said the man as he stood and carefully moved over to where Harry and the Professor stood. "My word, you look just like James did when he was your age!"

He bent down onto one knee in front of Harry and held out his hand. Harry blinked, staring at the hand in confusion for a moment before looking up at Beth with an obvious question in his expression.

"Dear Harry, this is one of your parents' close friends. I only ever heard him called Moony, however, and do not know his true name," she told him, a soft smile on her lips.

Harry turned back to 'Moony' and reached out to shake his hand. He grinned at the man, glad to meet another friend of his parents. Perhaps he would be able to hear more stories about his mum and dad.

"Beth says that you're 'Moony,'" Harry said tentatively, which caused the man to laugh. It was a gentle, rumbling laugh that seemed familiar to Harry and made him relax. His grin widened as he looked up at the man.

"I am indeed. My name is Remus Lupin, but to family, and you ARE family Harry no doubt about that, I'm called Moony," he let Harry's hand go and looked to where Harry had a moment before. "You said her name was Beth, yes?"

Harry nodded in response to the question.

"Well, Beth, I have to say thank you," Moony's face lost the gentle smile, a look of pure sorrow and anguish replacing it. "All this time, I believed, as others did, that Padfoot was guilty. To find out otherwise is... I don't have the words enough to show my gratitude."

"So Sirius' nickname is Padfoot?" Harry asked, wanting to clarify and change the subject. Both Moony and Beth looked uncomfortable, and they nodded in response to his query, glad for the change of subject.

Suddenly there was a bang as the doors opened abruptly, and Harry and the others spun around, startled, to see who had entered the courtroom.

The man entering was a tall, thin man with pale skin and a large, hooked nose. He had shoulder-length, greasy-looking black hair which framed his face, and cold, black eyes. Harry took a moment to look closer at his eyes and found that, like Hagrid, they were actually a deep dark brown that gave the _impression_ of being black at first glance. The man wore black, flowing robes which billowed behind him as if there was a breeze in the room. Harry was reminded of Batman at first, what with the way his robes moved. He grinned at the thought. The man also carried a small bag that was reminiscent of an old-style leather doctor's bag. He walked over to them and nodded once at Professor Dumbledore.

"Ah, Severus, I'm glad you could join us so promptly," Dumbledore said with a smile. "We will need a vial of Vertiserum during the trial."

"Indeed," Harry could hear a faint sneer in the man's voice. "Heaven forbid the Ministry actually does something right for a change without needing someone to hold their hand."

Harry giggled softly at that and drew the man's, Severus' attention. His eyes widened for a moment, and there was an emotion on his face that Harry couldn't quite place. His expression went blank barely a second later, and Harry gulped. The expressionless gaze made him wary. Scared. Despite the fear, he walked over to the taller man carefully as if he were approaching one of Aunt Marge's dogs.

"Um...hello, sir. I'm Harry Potter. Um, pleased to meet you?" Harry held out his hand, warily. There were a few intense moments of silence before Severus finally took his hand and shook it.

"Professor Severus Snape," he introduced himself in a cold tone. There was a slight emphasis on the word 'Professor,' and Harry was quick to take notice of.

"Severus teaches Potions at Hogwarts, Harry," Dumbledore said with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Snape? Aunt Petunia mentioned that mom grew up knowing a Snape. I thought that was your _first_ name," Harry blinked and then grinned up at the tall, formidable man. "I'm pleased to meet people who knew mum and dad. It really is good to meet you, Professor Snape."

"Indeed," Professor Snape said, his voice not quite as cold as before. A note of surprise seemed to flicker across his face, though it was gone so fast that Harry thought he might have imagined it.

There was another big bang of noise. This time from one of the side doors. Several older wizards moved into the room and to the raised chairs and tables. Dumbledore shuffled Harry and Professor Snape over to one of the lower tables, and they all sat down as a group. Moony moved back to his seat in the audience area. Yet a third door opened, and this time two guards led in a very bedraggled looking man.

The man had a sunken face, shadowed eyes, and waxy white skin. Once perhaps he might have been considered handsome, but now he just looked like he was stretched far too thin. His hair was a matty black, and his eyes a cloudy, unfocused grey. He froze at the sight of Harry, and tears immediately sprung to his eyes. Even as the guards forced him to sit at the other table, he never stopped looking at Harry, twisting his head around to keep Harry in his sights. Harry tried to give him a small smile, knowing that this man was his Godfather. The man's eyes widened at the kindness Harry was showing, and he finally looked away, sobbing in an almost uncontrollable manner. Harry looked to the Professor's beside him, feeling a bit bewildered.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked softly, concern lacing his tone.

"When the Auror's found him the night your parents died, he had been yelling that it was 'all his fault,'" Professor Snape responded in a bored tone as he placed the leather bag on the table.

There was a bang from a gavel, and everyone's attention was brought to the front of the room, ruining Harry's chance to ask more questions. The man in the center, who Harry assumed was Minister Fudge, stood and cleared his throat. Harry noticed a smallish man with glasses to the side with a quill and parchment, the quill started writing on its own as the Minister began to speak. The man just looked to be confirming that it wasn't making any errors more than anything else.

"The court is here today for the _official_ trial of one Sirius Orion Black. The charges levied are as follows; that one Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper of the Potter Family. That he betrayed the Potter Family to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, which resulted in their deaths. That he is responsible for the murder of Peter Pettigrew. And the murder of twelve muggle civilians," there was excited murmuring from the reporters, and Harry heard the sounds of more quills scratching against parchment as the Minister banged the gavel again. The lot fell silent. "How does the defendant plead?"

Dumbledore stood and moved to stand behind Sirius.

"Not Guilty," he said, placing a hand onto Sirius' shoulder. The touch startled the man, but he stayed quiet and docile.

"Very well. It is the Court's understanding that we now have a witness that will confirm that Sirius Black was, in fact, NOT the Secret Keeper of the Potter family?" the Minister asked.

"Yes, we do. The Imaginary of one Harry Potter was witness to the re-casting of the Fidelus Charm," Dumbledore said in an even tone. "Even I was not privy to the change of Keepers."

The reporters behind them started talking in eager tones to each other, forcing the Minister to once more bang the gavel. Harry glanced back, really there were only about ten reporters but the fact that they could get so _loud_ surprised him. Why were people so noisy? Beth tapped his shoulder and brought his attention back to the front of the room.

"If Mr. Potter could please step in front of the Mirror of Bonds?" Harry stood up, nervously, and moved toward the Mirror. "The court acknowledges that the Mirror of Bonds, created by one Albus Dumbledore and one Nicholas Flamel, can both show a Witch or Wizards Imaginary and also allow communication with said Imaginary while they are in front of the Mirror."

Beth moved just behind Harry, hand gently resting on his shoulder as they walked in front of the Mirror. At first, the Mirror showed a misty shape behind him, but as he and the others watched, the form solidified into Beth's image. He looked around and grinned when he saw that the others in the room could indeed see her as well.

"Madam, if you would state your name and occupation for the court records?" the Minister asked.

"Bethany Lithah," Harry blinked, a little weirded out by hearing Beth's voice both from behind him and issuing from the speakers at the top of the Mirror. "I am the Imaginary of one Harry James Potter, bonded to him within the first year of his life on this Earth."

"Thank you, ma'am. Now, if you would tell us what you had witnessed regarding the casting, or as Dumbledor said, the _re_ -casting of the Fidelus Charm?"

"Of course. Upon the first casting of the Fidelus Charm, James and Lily Potter had originally chosen Sirius Black as their Keeper. Dumbledore was the caster at that time. Later that same day, they switched Keepers, choosing Peter Pettigrew as their Secret Keeper while Sirius cast the spell itself."

Louder scratching noises greeted that revelation.

"Why, then, did everyone continue to believe that the Keeper was Sirius Black?" came the voice of an older woman.

"Black was to act as bait. He would be known to be the Keeper when he was not, thus drawing the attention of Voldemort," everyone flinched except for Harry, Dumbledore, and Snape causing Beth to roll her eyes, "away from the _true_ Keeper, Pettigrew. It was meant to be an extra layer of protection and secrecy to protect the Potter family."

"Were you present at the attack on October thirty-first?" came another aged voice that Harry couldn't put a face to.

"No," Beth said with a saddened shake of her head. "I had put off my report to my superiors long enough by that time. That dear Harry and his family were supposedly safe under the Charm meant that I would no longer be able to excuse putting said report off, so I headed back to my own realm."

"Thank you, Ma'am," the Minister turned to the other judges. "All those in favor of finding Sirius Black innocent of providing the Potter Families location to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

All of the judges' hands rose as one. Minister Fudge nodded with a small smile to Harry and banged the gavel once. The reporters once again broke into a flurry of activity and conversation, and the Minister gave them a few moments to quiet themselves. Harry looked over to Moony, who was smiling faintly and then to Sirius, who was openly sobbing and looking at Harry and Beth with awe and gratitude in his eyes.

"Order, please!" Minister Fudge shouted after a moment. "We are now left with the charges of the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles. As we wish to fully ascertain the events that followed the deaths of Lily and James Potter, we will request the administration of Veritaserum to the accused. In his current state, it is believed the individual will be unable to resist the effects of the serum regardless of any mental magics he may know. Is this acceptable to those present?"

"It is Minister," Dumbledore said, and the other judges all nodded as they were visibly taking in Sirius' obviously malnourished state. "I've taken the liberty to call in Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master, for the administration of Veritaserum."

"Very well, proceed," the Minister said with a nod of his head to Professor Snape.

Snape stood and moved over to Sirius with a stern look on his face. He waved his wand over the crying man, a flash of words appearing above Sirius for a moment before disappearing. Harry tilted his head as he watched, wondering what those words had meant. Professor Snape then turned to the judges.

"I will be administering a Calming Draught and then only enough veritaserum to last for up to a half-hour," he said in a firm, no-nonsense tone. "With the malnourished state of the accused, anything more will poison him."

"As you say, Professor Snape. Please proceed," the Minister said.

Professor Snape carefully handed and then helped Sirius in drinking what Harry assumed was the Calming Draught he had mentioned. Sirius took a few deep breaths after drinking it, and his shudders and tears finally stopped. He looked at the Professor with an emotion Harry couldn't place.

Harry caught a murmured 'Thanks Snivy' and had to bite back a giggle at the Professor's glare and mumbled, 'I really SHOULD poison you.' He held up a small vial of what looked like water for the court to view before he opened it and took out an eyedropper. Sirius stuck out his tongue with the ghost of a grin on his lips, and the Professor administered two drops. Sirius' face took on a dreamy look moments later.

"Please state your name for the court records," the Minister called out.

"Sirius Orion Black," Sirius said.

"Please tell the court what happened on October thirty-first up to your arrest."

"I'd gone to visit Peter, check up on him and make sure he was doing okay. He'd just lost his girl, Mary. I didn't find him at home, and the house looked quiet, so I figured he was visiting Lily and James. I went to their place..."

"You'd been told the location after the casting was complete?" The Minister interrupted.

"Yes."

"Very well, continue."

"When I got to Godric's Hollow, the house had already been attacked. I lost it for a moment thinking everyone was dead. I heard Harry crying and realized he was still alive. I cast a spell to stabilize the building and rushed inside to find him upstairs on the ground near Lily's body. James' body was near the entrance. I searched for Peter too, but couldn't find him anywhere. I thought then that he might have been caught and forced to provide the location or something. Hagrid showed up, and I gave Harry to him. All I could think about was finding Peter and rescue him if he was alive. I was shocked when I saw him on the street in London, just walking along at a fast clip and I ran toward him shouting his name. He turned at me, yelled that it was my fault and blew himself up."

The courtroom burst into noise, and Harry's eyes widened with surprise. Even with Minister Fudge calling for order, everyone kept talking and trying to figure out why Peter would do such a thing and if Sirius was indeed telling the truth or if he had managed to trick the veritaserum even in his bedraggled state. Harry abruptly felt Beth cover his ears, and a sudden roar filled the room, forcing everyone to be quiet. Harry still jumped despite himself and looked to Beth, who was just closing her mouth. He'd never heard her make such a noise before and was somewhat surprised by it.

"Now that you all are _quiet_ ," she started slowly, annoyance ringing in her voice, "I've a wonder if there are there any spells that will force a person to do something against their will?"

"There is the Imperius curse. It does take away one's free will if one is not strong enough to fight it," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "May I ask what you are thinking, Lady Bethany?"

"Just call me Beth," she corrected with a distracted tone, "and what I am thinking is that it sounds as if Peter might have been caught, forced to give the information, and then possibly forced to kill himself if anyone he knew found him. If he had lost someone dear to him, then he would have been highly susceptible to such a curse due to his emotional state at the time, yes?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore said sadly. "It could very well have happened as you suggest."

"Well..." Minister Fudge said in a slightly flustered voice. "With this new information come to light, we would want to confirm that there was no explosive spell cast with Mr. Black's wand."

"It's broken," Sirius piped up.

"Pardon? What do you mean, _broken_?" Fudge said, his voice taking on a high note as he blinked rapidly in surprise.

"The Aurors took me directly to Barty Crouch Senior. He took my wand, broke it, and then ordered me sentenced directly to Azkaban," Sirius said in the same dreamy tone, though there was the slightest bit of anger starting to appear on his face.

Again the reporters and this time the judges all burst into noise at the same time. Harry sighed, thinking that whoever 'Barty Crouch Senior' was that the man was probably going to be in a lot of trouble. He looked up at Beth.

"Are adults always like this?" he asked her quietly.

"They can be," she responded with a faint grin.

Finally, order was restored, and the Minister called for a vote from the judges. It took several minutes of discussion, but a majority of those present voted for 'Not Guilty' concerning all the remaining charges.

Harry cheered in response, which caused everyone else to give a chuckle and clap their hands together. Next, Professor Dumbledore called for a compensation request to make up for the time Sirius had been unlawfully imprisoned in jail. Still, Harry tuned that out and rushed over to Sirius, who was being freed from the magical manacles around his wrists and ankles and having some cleaning spells cast on him. Harry waited for a few moments bouncing on his toes while the guards cleaned Sirius up and then jumped forward to give the man a hug. Sirius returned the hug fiercely tears coming to his eyes again despite the calming draught that was still in his system.

"Thank you, Harry. Thank you," he said softly.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Long chapter today just couldn't find a spot to separate things out! I hope you enjoyed the trial!

Please review!


	8. Barriers, Trains and Red-heads

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

Edited 11/19/2015

More edits as of 2/2020

/*/*/*/*/*/**/

Chapter Seven: Barriers, Trains, and Red-heads.

After the trial, Harry had been able to say goodbye to both Moony and Professor Snape. Moony's farewell had been a bit emotional as the older man had to wipe away a few tears as he promised to write. When Harry had said goodbye to Professor Snape, however, he had gotten a stiff response from the older man and nothing more. He could see how his Aunt could call the older man a git, especially if he was always so stiff and collected. Yet, in a way, Harry felt that the man's formal attitude suited him. He also found himself wondering if he was as hard on students with potions as his Aunt was with cooking.

Professor Dumbledore led both Harry and Sirius out of the ministry, past the throng of eager reporters. He told them that the plan was to take them both to their respective homes, Harry's first, and then Sirius'. They were going to the other man's house to pick up a few things before heading to the hospital. As they appeared near Harry's place, Dumbledore once more voiced his intent to take Sirius to the hospital and not to tarry too long on goodbyes.

Sirius waved the older man's concern aside and turned to thank Harry again for helping him get the trial he should have gotten years ago and promised he would owl him as soon as he could with his home address. Dumbledore, however, was quite firm that it might be some time before Sirius could send anything, as Sirius needed to focus on recovering from his time in Azkaban. That was why they were going to take that trip to the Wizarding hospital, St. Mungo's, after seeing if there were any salvageable clothes at the Black Mansion. (From what the Headmaster said magic could keep garments in good repair for years and years if used right).

Sirius had rolled his eyes and had flashed the older man a strained smile while trying to say that he would be fine on his own, but Dumbledore merely gave him a firm 'Look,' and he yielded. Harry would have given up too had the other man looked at him so. Unlike his Aunts' 'Angry Look,' Headmaster Dumbledore's was so full of disappointment as to make Harry want to confess to something out of guilt alone, and he hadn't done anything! Harry wished them both well, and then they 'popped' off with a loud crack of noise as Harry darted into the house from the backyard door.

September first came quickly enough, and Harry made sure he had everything packed in advance. Well, it was more like he unpacked and then repacked everything about five times the night before. His Aunt had told him to get his things ready before having him shrink the trunk down. She'd then taken it away from him and ordered him to bed. He was almost positive that she had him shrink it down so that she wasn't tempted to check his already quintuple-checked work in packing things up. The next day went smoothly as a result, and as his Aunt drove them to Kings Cross, he looked over the ticket that Hagrid had handed to him. Harry tilted his head with a small frown as he looked at the number.

"Aunt Petunia? The ticket reads Platform Nine and Three-Quarters..." his voice trailed off in confusion. Dudley looked over his shoulder at the ticket for himself, only to let out a small 'huh' sound.

"Yes, Lily's read the same, and no, I don't know what it means by using such a ridiculous fraction. I-I stayed out in the car each time we dropped her off," Petunia responded as she turned a corner. "Given the lack of instructions with that silly ticket, we'll want to wait between platforms Nine and Ten and watch for any... _others_."

Harry nodded at that and decided to let it go rather than risk upsetting her further. They'd find out soon enough anyway.

When they got to Kings Cross, his Aunt handed him back his shrunken trunk with an admonishment not to lose it. He pocketed it with a nod and a smile and then grabbed Hedwig's cage. Dudley followed behind him, and they chatted quietly about the various spells Harry would be learning as a first-year student. Surprisingly enough, Dudley didn't seem to be upset by the fact that he would never be able to cast a spell. Harry's cousin asked questions mostly about the theory behind spellwork and the history of the magical world than the actual casting and application of magic. Well, that was to say he was interested in the various creatures, stories, heroes, villains, etc. of the magical world and how the magic in said stories could possibly work 'that way.' He even made Harry promise to find out if they had any classes dedicated to learning about 'muggles' as he wanted to know what wizards thought of the non-magical world and its advancements. Such as planes, submarines, and spaceflight. What was different? What was the same? Harry readily agreed as he was also interested in finding answers to those very same questions.

As they found a spot to wait between Platforms Nine and Ten, they began to keep an eye out for anyone talking about magic so they could figure out how to get to the train. Beth wandered about, unseen as she was, there was no issue in her scouting the area. She was better able to listen in on the random-seeming conversations of the people around them. Harry had always found that aspect of her nature to be, well, _fun_. Like having a super-secret spy on his side. They'd played enough spy and sneaking games over the years together and, even if Dudley couldn't see her, she could still 'switch teams' on occasion to help his cousin. She finally rushed back ten minutes later to Harry's side, pulling him from his thoughts. There was a wide grin on her lips.

"Magicals incoming," she said in an amused tone, and he relayed her words to his Aunt and cousin.

The first thing that clued him in as to which group Beth had been speaking about was a kindly woman's voice saying '...packed with muggles, of course...'. He spun to look in the direction of the voice and saw a large group. Obviously, a large family. He smiled at the sight as it _was_ quite a unique group of people. The one Harry had heard was a plump woman talking to four boys, two of which were identical twins, and had a young girl clinging to her free hand. They all had flaming red hair and a spattering of freckles on their faces. Each boy was pushing a trolley with trunks similar to Harry's own, and most telling of all, they had an _owl_ carefully tucked away in a newish bird-cage. Harry and his small group moved closer so that they could overhear the group of freckled red-heads as they spoke to each other.

"Now then, what's the platform number?" said the mother in a tone that was teasing. Harry realized that the older woman knew exactly what the number was and was just insuring that the youngest amongst her knew the answer.

"Nine and Three-Quarters!" piped the small girl holding her hand. The younger girl's tone was eager, even if it did taper off to a little whine. "Mom, can't I go...?"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, you know that. Now quiet down," a gentle pat to the head softened the stern order. "All right then. Percy, you're first."

Harry and Dudley watched eagerly as what looked to be the oldest boy pushed his trolley forward and aimed at the dividing barrier between the two platforms. Harry leaned forward, hoping not to miss anything as the boy suddenly rushed forward, but a thick crowd of tourists swarmed in front of his view and blocked off what was happening. When the group cleared, the boy was gone. Just _gone_. Poof! Harry and Dudley shared a confused look.

"Hmm. I felt a pulse of magic just then," Beth said, frowning a bit as she eyed the wall.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George!" said one of the twins as he pushed his trolley forward. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear," the woman said with a flush.

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the twin with a laugh as he rushed forward toward the barrier and then was gone.

He heard his Aunt mutter a 'Well I never!' at the boys' antics while he and Dudley did their best to contain their snickers. His twin followed closely behind with a whoop. He, too, disappeared right before he hit the barrier. Harry shared a glance with his family before they walked over to the three remaining red-heads. His Aunt cleared her throat nervously.

"Pardon me but-" Petunias voice trailed off, trying to figure out how to put the question. The red-headed woman smiled when she saw Harry's owl.

"First time at Hogwarts? It's my Ron's first year, too. Both boys or just one?" she asked as she looked at Harry and Dudley. Petunia Put her hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Just my nephew here," Petunia responded with a weak smile.

"Um...so how do...the thing is..." Harry stuttered out a bit, looking between the remaining red-heads and the very _solid_ looking barrier.

"How do you get to the platform?" the woman asked kindly.

He nodded quickly in response.

"Not to worry, deary. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared that you'll crash into it. It's best to do it at a bit of run if you're nervous. You can go now before Ron does if you'd like to."

Harry nodded a bit and looked to his Aunt and his cousin. His Aunt was frowning at the barrier and looked distinctly uncomfortable with the entire situation. He knew that she would be highly out of sorts if she was forced to go through the wall, and he wanted to help her avoid that kind of strain. He turned to her fully and moved over to give her a hug making her look down at him in confusion

"I'll go on ahead to the train by myself," Harry said softly as he pulled back. "You guys can head home, okay?"

Relief flashed across his Aunt's face, and she returned his hug with the faintest of smiles. She looked to the red-headed woman, and there was a moment of tense, silent communication between the two women before the red-headed woman smiled and nodded. Petunia smiled back, seeming to relax and led Dudley off back to the car.

Harry waved goodbye to them both, then looked back to the barrier. He took a slow, deep breath. The wall seemed quite solid, and he felt a pang of doubt. Would he really be able to pass safely through the barrier? He spared a glance both to Beth and to the boys', _Ron's_ , mother. Both flashed him reassuring smiles, and he gripped Hedwig's cage a little tighter. He grinned shakily back and then started toward the barrier at a jog, before speeding up to a run. He slammed his eyes shut right before he hit the wall, fully expecting to hit the wall... but he didn't hit anything. A sharp jerk to his shirt collar caused him to open his eyes and come to an abrupt halt. He looked up and saw that Beth had grabbed him and was grinning down at him. Glancing forward, he saw that he'd been about to barrel into someone else's trolley. The dark-haired kid flashed him a look and raised a brow at Harry before turning back to his own parents. He looked back up at Beth and stuck his tongue out at her before looking behind her to make sure that the other three red-heads made it through the barrier.

Which, of course, they did.

He nodded to himself, satisfied, and then took a moment to look around. There was a sign above a bright red steam engine that read 'Hogwarts Express, Eleven o'clock departure'. The platform was crowded and loud, but even then, he could catch snippets of conversation here and there.

He heard a boy call out that he'd lost his toad, and a woman who looked to be his grandmother sighed at the other boy's exclamation. He heard several shrieks as a group of kids surged back and then forward once more to surround one tallish boy who had a smug smirk on his lips. He grinned as he looked over the bustling crowd and started for one of the cars only to stop at a shout from behind from a familiar pair of voices that he had just heard a few moments ago. Voices that had been teasing their red-headed mother.

"Hey there! Where's your trunk?" came the echoing question.

Harry turned and found himself face to face with the twins Fred and George. He grinned to the two as he shuffled Hedwig's cage to his other hand and pulled out the book-sized trunk from his pocket.

"Right here!" Harry said with a grin. "Hagrid said it was a good deal. Um. Should I unshrink it? Does it need to be put up somewhere? Can I keep it in my pocket? Is that okay?"

The twin's eyes widened as they looked over the trunk, and they looked Harry over with raised brows a moment later.

"Well, it would be a good idea..." said one.

"To unshrink it right quick..." said the other.

"That's a really expensive type of trunk..."

"And you wouldn't want it getting stolen..."

"With it that size..."

"Be real easy for someone to nab."

"Also, it _does_..."

"Need to be put up with the other bags."

"House-elves will put it..."

"In your new room..."

"Depending on where you're sorted later."

Harry's head flicked back and forth as each one spoke, and he nodded a bit, realizing the truth in their words. He went to tilt the shrunken trunk and grab the crest when one of the twins caught his arm.

" _Not_ out in the open, oh eager one."

"Each trunk can have a different trigger..."

"Don't want others to see..."

"Otherwise, they might steal it as a prank."

"And who knows how long it'd be..."

"Before you get it back."

Harry nodded at their words, understanding the logic of it. He had to bite back a small laugh at Beth's muttered ' _This_ is why I don't like twins.' He and the twins moved into the train, and Harry was able to locate an empty compartment. The twins grinned at him and turned their backs, guarding the door for him. He bit back a laugh at the sight and set the trunk down on the seats. He then reached and turned the crest so it would expand back to its' normal size. Once it was back to its' normal size, he started to try to lift it up to place in the upper luggage compartment and grunted with the effort. The next thing he knew, the weight was gone as both twins had grabbed onto the trunk from each side. They hefted it easily into place for him.

"There we go firstie..."

"All settled in!"

Harry grinned at them in thanks and ran his fingers through his hair. He started to open his mouth to thank them, and the two boys let out a soft gasp. Harry blinked at them, noticing the wide eyes as they stared at his forehead. He felt himself flushing under the scrutiny, knowing now what had caught their attention.

"Blimey, are you...?"

"He is. Aren't you?"

"What?" Harry asked with a blink looking between the two.

"Harry Potter?" both twins chorused.

"Oh, him! I mean, yes, I am," Harry said shyly.

The twins gawked at him for a few moments before he heard their mother's voice calling for them. They looked to each other and then spared a last glance to Harry before rushing outside to head the matriarchs summons. Harry sat down by the window and Beth across from him so they could both watch the family's antics from the window. The red-heads had gathered together, and the mother had just taken out a cloth to wipe at the nose of the youngest boy.

"Mom... geroff!" after a moment, he managed to wiggle free, and Harry grinned at the sight.

He listened as the twins playfully teased their younger brother, and found out that the older brother was a Prefect. The older boy had apparently been bragging about that all summer. Harry's eyes widened as he realized the twins _loved_ pranks, and Beth face-palmed as their mother inadvertently gave them the idea to _blow up a toilet_.

"Never given pranksters an idea, they can come up with their own without help," Beth murmured to Harry. He nodded at her sage words.

Finally, the twins shared a look and then caught their mom's attention with a grin.

"Hey, mum? Guess who we just met on the train!" one said with a grin.

"You know that dark-haired boy you helped?"

"Yes?"

"You know who he is?"

"Who?" The mother smiled indulgently at the pair.

"Harry Potter!" the twins chorused together.

The little girl squeaked and started to beg the older woman to be let on the train. A firm admonishment from her mother quieted her.

"No, Ginny, you can't go on. Leave the boy alone. As for you two, I did know that actually. His photo was in the newspaper recently concerning that mess with poor Sirius," a sorrowful look passed over the woman's face.

"Why didn't you _tell_ us?!"

"The boy was doing his absolute best to avoid the press," his mother said firmly. "You could tell that because even the few pictures they did get of him had his image trying to duck out the side of the frame. I imagine that the poor boy doesn't like to be reminded about his fame either. Remember you lot, he lost his _parents_ that night. I imagine that's not a good memory, now is it?"

They fell into thoughtful silence for a moment before one of the twins pipped up.

"Do you think he remembers what You-know-who-looks like?" he asked.

"Fred Weasley! Don't you _dare_ ask that poor boy such a question! It's beyond rude!" their mother's face grew very stern. "You respect his privacy, do you hear me? He doesn't need to be reminded about that regardless of if he remembers or not!"

Harry flinched a bit at the yelling and then relaxed as Beth laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He watched as the family said their goodbyes and loaded up onto the train. As the train began to pull away from the station, he watched with amusement as the little sister chased after the train. The girl waving her hands in a frantic farewell to her brothers.

"They seem like a nice family," Harry said softly.

"They do indeed," Beth responded with a gentle smile.

Harry found himself highly amused when the youngest red-headed boy popped into the compartment and asked if he could sit with him. The twins followed shortly after that and introduced themselves properly as Fred and George Weasley and their brother as Ron. They were talking excitedly about one of the other students, a Lee Jordan, who was trying to sneak in a tarantula as his familiar and that they were going to go check that out. Ron had gone pale when they offered to let the 'little firsties' tag along, and even Harry shook his head to politely decline, not much liking spiders in general.

Ron seemed to doubt for a few that Harry was really _the_ Harry Potter until he showed him his scar. The other boy was apparently very quite used to being pranked by the twins.

They spent most of the train ride talking about Ron's family. Almost all of them were wizards except for a second cousin. Said cousin was a squib and made his living as an accountant. Harry told him about his Aunt and his cousin and squashed the myth that he knew 'loads of magic' since he was raised by his muggle relatives. Ron seemed a bit disappointed but also seemed to understand.

They shared food when the snack cart made its round. Harry bought enough for them both and more since he'd never had wizarding food before. He wanted to try a bit of everything, _especially_ when he learned that some of the packages of food would reseal themselves with magic so they could save the leftovers for later if they couldn't finish it all on the ride.

Harry learned about Chocolate Frog cards (he got an Albus Dumbledore) and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (he got somewhat lucky with the flavors from what Ron told him). Ron showed off his rat Scabbers, who seemed to do nothing but sleep and made Beth frown.

"Is that rat dying?" she asked. When Harry relayed the question, Ron just said he was old and slept most of the time.

Harry learned about the Houses, and, from what Ron said, a lot of dark wizards came from Slytherin. Harry was doubtful that _all_ dark wizards came from that House. Look at what happened with his parents and their former friend Pettigrew for example. Ron seemed to be befuddled by that but admitted that _some_ of the most well known dark wizards came from that house. At least he was willing to accept that there had been 'bad eggs' from other Houses. Still, he argued that it was probably rare and not well known. At least not since Voldemort's rise and fall from power.

A boy knocked on their compartment door asking about a toad, and Harry realized he was probably the same boy from before at the station. Both Harry and Rob apologized and said they hadn't seen it, and the boy wandered off dejectedly.

The really lively part of the train ride though, started when Draco showed up with two larger boys. Ron immediately looked to be on the defensive as the two larger boys took up 'guard' positions, and Draco shoved his way inside to sit across from Harry, right next to Ron. Sadly, Beth was already sitting there, and Harry felt a sudden pull on his 'core'. Harry dove to the other side of the seat just in time. Draco was blasted forward and into the spot where Harry had been a moment before.

Both Harry and Ron bit back giggles as Draco struggled to sit upright, frantically straightening his robes and his hair before settling into place. He glared at where he was going to sit and frowned. He might not be able to see Beth, but she looking at him with a smug grin that had Harry fighting back open giggles.

"I read the paper the other day, so I know what- _who_ that was. You could have _warned_ me, Potter," Draco said with a sniff as he turned to the boy in question.

"You didn't exactly give me enough time to!" Harry said in defense.

Ron looked back and forth between the two, then to the seat next to him. Ron's eyes widened as he realized what had just happened. Then he looked back to the two boys and raised a brow at them with a frown.

"You two... know each other?" he asked in a cautious voice. It was obvious that he wanted to ask something else, but the boy was making due with the more polite question.

"We met at the Owl Emporium," Harry explained with a grin.

Harry was about to say more when a girl managed to shove past the two larger boys. She had bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth. Harry could just barely see the boy from before peaking past the 'guards' watching the girl with a look of surprised awe as she forced herself past the confused pair watching the door.

"Have any of you seen a toad?" she asked abruptly.

"We already told the boy that we haven't seen it," Ron said with a frown as he flicked his wand, which looked rather battered, idly over Scabbers a few times without saying anything. It looked like he was practicing a particular wand movement.

The girl zeroed in on his wand and then plopped herself down next to Harry, squashing him a bit against Draco. All the boys shared a look of astonishment as she started talking, the toad seemingly forgotten in the wake of the girl's curiosity.

"Are you doing magic? Let's see it!" she asked, or rather, demanded of them.

Ron looked a bit taken aback by that and cleared his throat nervously.

"Um, this is something the twins taught me. Don't expect much. It didn't work last time..." he took a deep breath and flicked his wand again as he spoke. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow."

Nothing happened.

Draco snorted, and Harry firmly stifled his own laughter. Beth merely sighed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

"You said the 'twins' taught you that," Draco asked primly. "Do you mean the Weasley twins?"

Ron nodded again, looking to be on the defensive once more.

"My father told me they are troublemakers and to watch out for them," Draco said with a small huff. "He's on the school board. You really believed that was a real spell?"

"I've tried a few spells myself. Just for practice! Most seem to be more Latin-based than anything else," the girl piped up eagerly, drowning out Ron's sputters. She turned to Draco. "I'll have to keep an eye out for those twins you mentioned! They sound like trouble. Oh! But I'm so glad to be going to Hogwarts, though. No one in my family is magical at all. I was so surprised by the letter but ever so pleased too. It explained so much! I've read that Hogwarts is the absolute best magical school, I've read all my books several times now...OH! Goodness! I'm terribly sorry, where're my manners? My name is Hermione Granger, and you?"

She looked eagerly at the boys, practically bouncing in her seat.

They all blinked in response, She'd said all of that without taking a breath for air. Not. ONE. Breath. Harry saw Beth raise an eyebrow at the eager girl and shake her head with a laugh.

"Draco Malfoy..." the blonde said carefully, eyeing the girl like she would blow up.

"Ron Weasley," the red-head said, equally as wary.

"Harry Potter," Harry said with a grin.

"Are you _really_? I've read all about you!" she said. Harry flushed at that when she turned to look at him eagerly and then paled not even a second later.

 _Wait a sec. What did she mean she's 'read all about me?'_ he thought.

"You're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and even The Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century!" she said with a smile.

"I am?" Harry squeaked. Beth tilted her head a bit, and Harry heard her mutter something about 'royalties.'

"Goodness! You didn't know?" she asked with a small frown. "I'd have found out everything I could if it was me! Do you know what House you'll be in?"

She looked at the boys and grinned. Harry and Ron tried to answer, but she spoke to fast for them to properly respond.

"I'm hoping for Gryffindor myself," she said, bouncing in her seat. "Shat was Professor Dumbledore's House. Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad either. I do love learning new things. Anyway, I'd best be off. We still need to find Neville's toad. Good to meet you!"

As she stood Draco suddenly pointed at her while looking at Harry.

"Her!" he said firmly.

Hermione stopped and looked between Harry and Draco in abject confusion. Even Ron looked confused by the sudden outburst from the blonde boy.

"Her?" Harry repeated with a raised brow.

"Yes! There's no _way_ she has some sort of hidden Magical background!" he said firmly.

"What are you on about?" Hermione asked, looking ready to be offended by the other boy's words.

Harry and Draco explained their bet and their reasoning behind it. Ron and Hermione both looked intrigued at what they were trying to do. Even the other boys at the door looked intrigued. Well, more the boy whose toad was missing, but the other two did share a thoughtful look.

"Well, my mother keeps an extensive family tree at home, I think it goes back at least thirty or forty generations! This is a great idea, both of you!" she grinned in approval at both Harry and Draco, causing them both to blush. "I'll mail, I mean OWL, my mother for a copy of the family tree as soon as we get to Hogwarts, and then we can look over it. It even has pictures, the non-moving kind I mean. Anyway, let's go, Neville! We have to find your toad!"

She left in a flurry of robes and hair and left all of the boys a little bit confused at her rapid-fire speech. Beth was laughing softly as the conductor announced that they would be arriving shortly. Draco and his guards yelped and ran back to their own compartment to get dressed, leaving Harry and Ron to their own devices.

"A right clever idea that mate. His family is big on pureblood status. If you can prove your theory, it'll put a bee in a lot of people's bonnet's."

"That's the idea." Harry responded with a grin.

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pls review!


	9. Boats, Ghosts, and a Singing Hat!?

Harry Potter and the Imaginary Friend

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

Holy cow over 1500 views at this point! Yay!

: bounces around like crazy until Prof. Snape appears, forcibly grabs me and shoves a calming draught down my throat:

Ahem, anyway, thank you all, and I'm glad you are interested in my story. When you see the * that is quoted directly from the book. Please continue to enjoy!

Edit as of 11/22/2014

Honestly, guys, thank you again so much. 28,381 views, 42 very dear reviews, 72 favs, 79 followers, and 6 communities. WOW, just wow.

More Edits 02/2020. Working on going through things before starting new chapters for part 2. :)

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Chapter Eight: Boats, Ghosts, and a Singing Hat!?

Once dressed in their official school robes, Harry and Ron looked out the window to try to catch a glimpse of Hogwarts itself. Even with their noses against the glass, they sadly couldn't see much. It was getting darker and darker as night fell, and before they could make out more than the distant shadowy silhouette of the castle against the moonlit sky, the conductor's voice echoed across the train once more.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes," the pleasant-sounding voice said. "Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken to the school separately. Again, please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken to the school separately."

Harry blinked at that and frowned. He looked over to his trunk. Said trunk only had the initials of his first and last name on its' crest. An elegant H connected to an equally stylish P. He turned and looked at Ron.

"Hey, what happens if someone has the same initials on their trunk as mine?" Harry asked in a curious and slightly worried tone.

"I think they can tell who was sitting in what compartment and make sure it gets to the right place that way," Ron answered with a shrug. "I've never heard of someone _not_ having their trunk show up in their room. Stolen later on in the year 'cause of a prank, yeah, but they've never _not_ gone to the right room."

Harry nodded a bit at that, and the boys shared a nervous smile. Harry noticed that Ron was extremely pale, enough so that his freckles stood out in stark relief against the near-white skin. Harry wondered if he was just as pale with nerves. They split up the remaining snacks that Harry'd bought evenly between them and quickly packed them away. Harry gave Beth's foot a nudge from where she was resting, and she opened an eye to look at him for a moment before nodding, yawning, and standing to follow him.

The train came to a slow halt, and the children all piled out but kept close to each other based on their respective years. Harry shivered as the cold air hit him and pulled his robe tighter around his form. He stuck close to Ron and he noticed he wasn't the only one shivering. Harry saw the light of a lantern above the heads of the other students and grinned when he heard a familiar voice.

"Firs' years!" cried the booming voice. "Firs' years over here! Here you go. Ah, ya alright there, Harry?"

Harry nodded and smiled at Hagrid in response before joining the rest of the first years that were congregating around Hagrid's tall form.

"C'mon now you lot, follow me. Any more firs' years?" Hagrid called, and a few more first years bid quick goodbyes to those who were obviously their older siblings. "Right. Now then, mind yer step you lot! Firs' years follow me!"

Harry and the other first-years followed after Hagrid as he led them down a rather steep and narrow path. Several times Harry had to catch Ron's arm to keep him from falling, and Ron himself returned the favor a few times as well. It was dark enough on either side of the path that Harry thought they might well be traveling through a rather dense forest. Nobody spoke much, nervous as they all were, and Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, kept sniffling softly nearby and looking around worriedly. Harry was honestly glad both for Hagrid's presence and that Neville wasn't outright crying. He'd be close to panic himself otherwise. It helped some having both Beth and the kindly half-giant nearby, and Harry was sure that Neville and the others in the group were just as relieved that the older man was with them.

Beth gave his shoulder a pat as if feeling his nervous emotions, which she probably was, and Harry jumped slightly.

"Calm down," she ordered softly. "I am here."

He nodded his head, perhaps a little too fast, and jumped again when Hagrid's voice once more boomed over the crowd of kids.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid announced to the group. "Jus' round this bend here."

As they turned the bend, the children all froze together in a lump, and as one let out a huge ' _Ooooooh_!'. Harry grinned at Ron and turned to Draco, who was still nearish to Harry and Ron. Harry almost laughed when he noticed that the blonde had blushed and was trying to pretend that he hadn't made the same noise as the rest of them. Hermione saw Draco's antics and nudged the blonde's arm.

"Don't be so stiff!" she murmured softly before turning her attention back to the massive castle. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

The group nodded at her words before pressing onwards at Hagrid's direction.

The narrow path that they were on opened onto the edge of a great lake. The water was as dark as the sky above, the stars reflections glittering in the waves. Perched at the other side atop a high cliff was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. One could see the glass windows sparkling, and the castle looked terrific against the starry night sky. Harry glanced down at the lake and noticed a small fleet of small boats. Hagrid pointed down at them, not even a second later, and then made a gentle motion for the youngsters to go down to them.

"No more'n four to a boat!" he called to the group of first years.

Harry and Ron grinned at each other and rushed down to the boats. They piled into one, and Hermione and Neville joined them. Draco took a neighboring boat with the two larger boys from the train and a girl. Neville still looked upset and was looking around the edge of the lake with open worry in his eyes. Before Harry could ask Neville what was wrong, Hagrid called out once more.

"Everyone in?" Harry noticed Hagrid was in his own boat, making sure that all the other kids were accounted for. He nodded and turned to face the castle. "Alright then...forward!"

With that, Hagrid tapped the tip of his umbrella against the bottom of his boat. The little fleet of boats pushed forward on their own toward the castle.

Harry glanced over the edge of the boat at the water and noticed that the water seemed smooth as glass. The stars shone upon the water like a dark mirror. Everyone watched in silent awe as they neared the cliff that the castle stood on. The massive structures details became clearer as they approached.

"Heads down!" Hagrid called suddenly and followed his own instructions as the boats carried them through a wall of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face.

The boats carried them through a dark cavernous tunnel that led to an underground harbor. Each boat came to an even halt, lining themselves next to the docks in a neat little row. Harry and the others clambered out of the boats and moved after Hagrid. He led them down yet another dark passageway, the only light coming from Hagrid's lantern. They exited the hall and stepped onto smooth damp grass right near the base of the castle. From there, Hagrid led them up a flight of stone steps, and Harry and the others crowded together in front of a large oak door. The kids were more than a little eager to get away from the night's chill.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid called out and got a tentative response of 'yes' from the kids that echoed oddly in the underground harbor.

He nodded and then knocked three times on the door.

The door swung open. Harry had to stand on his tiptoes to see over the group at the front. A tall, dark-haired woman in dark emerald-green robes stood in the doorway. She had a very stern face, and Harry's first instinct was that this was _not_ a woman to cross. It kind of reminded him of Beth when she got upset those times he'd done something reckless or gotten into trouble.

With that thought, the realization hit him that he'd lost sight of his Imaginary during the boat ride. He looked around frantically for her. He relaxed after a moment when he saw her wave to him. She was standing to the right of the group of first years. She was also doing her best to avoid the tight group of children. Harry grinned at her and then jumped at Neville's sudden shout.

"TREVOR!" yelled the boy.

Harry turned back around in time to see Neville bent over in front of the woman. As he stood, his hands were held close to his chest. Whatever it was that Neville was holding was hidden by his robes and cloak. Harry was curious about what type of toad the boy had. Obviously, it wasn't a poisonous one since he was able to hold it bare-handed, but still, some toads could look downright ODD in Harry's opinion. The woman frowned at him, and Neville backed back into the crowd sheepishly. Hagrid cleared his throat.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," he said, sounding very official.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here," came the reply from the woman.

Her voice was just as stern as her expression, but there was a hint of kindness in her tone. Harry felt confident in thinking that she was the 'strict but kind' sort.

The entrance hall they were led into was large enough that Harry wouldn't have been surprised to find out that his Aunt'sAunt's house could fit in the space without touching the walls. Torches were lit throughout the entrance hall casting a warm and welcoming light on the stone walls. Harry couldn't quite make out the stone ceiling, but quickly noticed marble stairs leading up to the upper floors. The Professor led them to a small chamber connected to the entrance hall. She stopped in front of the other door, and Harry could just make out a den of voices on the other side. She then went into a formalized speech that he was sure she gave each year. He grinned a bit but listened carefully as she spoke.

*"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.' Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

"I will return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." *

Harry and those close to him, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Draco, and a few others, started whispering amongst themselves, trying to figure out what the 'Sorting' would entail. Ron said that his brother Fred told him that there would be a painful test. Ron had then given a strained laugh and tried to reassure both himself and those around him by explaining Fred's prankster nature and how he was 'sure' that they were just having him on. Hermione ended up muttering very fast to herself about all the spells she'd studied because of his comments, though, not willing to chance that it might _not_ have been a prank.

There was a sudden scream from the back that caused the group to jump. Everyone spun around as one to see what had happened.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight of about twenty ghosts suddenly floating across the room. Harry hadn't really believed Beth when she'd talked about ghosts being real, but he now had irrefutable proof. The spirits had a pearly white glow and were partially transparent. He could hear them arguing about someone named 'Peeves' and the trouble he was causing on a daily basis. A ghost that the others called 'Fat Friar' noticed the now huddle together group of children and turned to them with a kindly smile.

"New students!" he called out in a cheerful voice. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

Several of the group nodded numbly in response to the question, including Harry. A majority of the group had been stunned into silence at seeing a real ghost.

The Fat Friar floated down closer to the group, and the bottom portion of his ghostly form brushed against Harry's shoulder. Harry's eyes crossed for a moment, and he backed away quickly. It felt like icy fingers had not only touched his skin but had also caressed the muscles of his shoulder and the very bone beneath. A decidedly uncomfortable sensation all around.

Harry realized that he was shuddering as his eyes uncrossed. Both Ron and Hermione were looking at him in concern. Even Draco and the larger boys next to him shot him curious looks. Hermione eyed him, and then the ghost thoughtfully and risked passing her own hand through the lower mist beneath the ghost when the Friar wasn't looking. She wrenched her hand back, her skin paling. A look of curiosity mixed with disgust on her face, and she glared at her hand thoughtfully. Harry looked over to Beth, who, in turn, smiled his way knowingly. Now he understood why she avoided contact with anyone else, only the magical connection between them prevented her from feeling that same sort of feeling when she touched him. He gave her a sympathetic look. It wasn't a pleasant sensation at all.

"Move along if you would," said a stern voice.

Harry spun around quickly and saw that Professor McGonagall had returned. The ghosts all made disappointed sounds that made him smile. They were obviously enjoying the mixed attention of fear and awe from the first years, and Harry had a feeling they did this to every new group.

"Alright now, form a single line and follow me," came the order from the Professor.

They rapidly formed a line and moved after the Professor like ducklings following their mum. They were led into the Great Hall in short order, and Harry marveled at the sight of _hundreds_ of candles floating in the air. He wondered what spell was used to prevent the wax from falling and burning the students below or if the wax was simply charmed not to melt and the wick charmed to not burn out. He marveled at the ceiling, which, according to Hermione, was enchanted to match the night sky.

They were led to line up just in front of the table that the staff sat at. The large group of kids stood in full view of the rest of the student body, who were seated at four different tables. Each had a banner over it reflecting which house was sitting at which table. Gryffindor had a lion, Ravenclaw a raven, Hufflepuff a badger, and Slytherin a serpent.

Harry shifted a bit, looking around nervously. So many people were looking at the first years, and he knew he wasn't the only one that was feeling a bit twitchy beneath all those eyes.

He felt Beth's' hand settle onto his shoulder and took a deep breath to calm himself, grateful for his Imaginaries presence. Professor McGonagall left the room for a moment and then returned with a stool. She placed the stool down and then set a worn and beaten looking wizard hat on the seat. Harry looked closer and saw that the hat was patched in some spots and frayed along the edges. It also seemed to be _very_ dirty, or at the least, it was very old. So old that it looked dirty even when clean. He blinked and had to hide a smile as he thought of his Aunt'sAunt's reaction to seeing the hat, which would have been to throw it away immediately. What happened next pulled him from his thoughts and caused him to jump in surprise. He shot a glance at Beth and saw that she was struggling not to laugh at his reaction.

*"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can top them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on, and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a steady mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"*

Harry shared a relieved grin with Ron and then Hermione though he turned back to Ron and nodded with a snicker at his friend's comment of 'HAVE to get that git brother of mine back somehow. He'd said I'd have to fight a TROLL!'.

Harry gave it some thought and whispered back to him that he had an idea for a prank they could play on his brother, but he would have to get the supplies to do it. Ron grinned back, and Hermione, who'd listened in, gave a soft huff but didn't try to tell them not to. All she did instead was try to shush them.

Harry tuned most of the Sorting out as he thought about what house he would be placed into and which one he might prefer to be in.

He didn't think of himself as ambitious like a Slytherin, but he liked a unique and carefully laid prank like most other kids his age. Jokes like that would need cunning and cleverness to pull off. In fact, what he was thinking to do for Fred involved saran wrap and the loo, or maybe the boy's bed if the beds they got were the four-poster kind.

He wouldn't call himself witty like a Ravenclaw, but Harry did enjoy learning new things. And while riddles could be fun, he didn't like the overly complicated ones he'd come across from time to time when reading his beloved stories.

On the other hand, he didn't have any overly close friends as he didn't share the same interests as the kids in Little Whinging. He was closest to his cousin. Still, Harry felt that if he did make friends while at Hogwarts, that he would be loyal to them. Not only that, but he hated it when people got bullied and tried to step in when and if he could. Justice and Loyalty were essential to be a Hufflepuff from the sound of things. He might fit in there.

His Aunt had also called him foolishly brave more than a few times when he'd climbed trees. She'd even tried to instill some 'chivalry' in him and his cousin. She'd wanted to teach them both to never lie or go back on one's word, protect those weaker than yourself, and try to be generous to everyone. She'd told them that there was more to old-style chivalry then that but that she wanted them to learn lessons on kindness and honesty the most. Dudley still had issues with lying and keeping promises, but he was improving.

With that last thought in mind, Harry thought that he very well might be put into Gryffindor. He nodded to himself a moment later. Really, he had no real problem with any of the Houses just then. Yeah, Hagrid had told him that Voldemort had come from Slytherin, but so had Professor Snape, and even if the Professor was stiff and seemed a bit surly, he had still helped to prove his Godfather innocent during the trial. And Pettigrew, his parents' real betrayer, had come from Gryffindor! Obviously, one's House was not proof of one's views.

He glanced back up, his thoughts derailing as he heard Hermione's name called. He bounced on his feet to see over the other kids' heads so he could watch. He was curious to see where she ended up.

"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat. Harry clapped along with the others and waved to her. She waved back and went to the table with all the red and gold banners floating above it.

He spaced out for a few more minutes, thinking over his natural traits and wondering how the Sorting Hat would know which House he would do best in. Did it take the characteristics that were strongest in the person at the time, or did it take into account where the new student wanted to be put? Maybe it put them in the House where they would grow the most, the one that would complement their natural traits and not exacerbate them. That last thought made more sense. Hermione seemed more like a Ravenclaw than a Gryffindor after all.

Or maybe it was a mix of all of the above?

He glanced up when he heard Neville's name called. Again Harry clapped at the hats shout of 'Gryffindor.' He laughed with the others when Neville started for the table with the hat still on his head.

The next person he paid attention to was Draco, and he shared a slight nod with the boy. The blonde might have been a bit snobby, but at least he was willing to test his own boundaries with Harry's bet. Harry wasn't sure if they would become friends or rivals in the end, but he hoped that they would have at least a friendly rivalry if they couldn't outright be friends. Harry found that he wasn't entirely surprised to see Draco go straight to Slytherin.

Finally, it was Harry's turn, and he flinched when everyone started talking in hushed voices about him. He stood frozen for a few moments because of the attention, knowing he'd gone a bit pale, and a gentle shove from Beth was the only thing that got him moving. He sat down roughly on the stool, causing it to wobble a bit before it settled. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head, and it fell to cover his eyes and block out the sight and sounds of the Great Hall.

'Hmm,' Harry jumped slightly at the voice that was suddenly in his head. 'Difficult. Very difficult.'

'I'm sorry,' Harry thought, hoping the hat, he assumed it was the hat that he heard in his head, would hear him in turn. 'May I ask what you mean by 'difficult'?'

'Polite too!' Harry heard soft laughter. 'What is difficult, Mr. Potter is that I see plenty of courage, a good mind, talented and not afraid of hard work, and a nice thirst to prove yourself. Now, where should I put you?'

'If it's all the same to you, sir, I think that I'd like to be in Gryffindor.'

'Gryffindor, is it? You could be great, you know, I can see it all here in your head, Slytherin would help you find greatness, you know, no doubt about that...No? very well then...'

"GRYFFINDOR!" came the shout, and Harry grinned, taking off the hat and handing it politely to the Professor before rushing over to the table.

The whole table had burst into wild cheers, and he saw the twins dancing on the table in joy, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!'. Percy ended up shaking his hand as he was welcomed to the table. He finally managed to find a seat and looked around happily. Harry took the time to wave at both Hagrid and Headmaster Dumbledore and then looked toward Professor Snape. The dark-haired Potions Master was sitting near an odd-looking teacher who was wearing a turban. The man was talking adamantly at the Potions Professor. Harry smile and waved to Professor Snape, who merely gave him the slightest of nods despite the small sneer on his lips before turning to snap something at the turbaned teacher. Harry felt a sharp pain in his forehead right under his scar and he hissed in response, reaching up and rubbing at it. Beth was at his side in an instant later.

"What is wrong dear Harry?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"Dunno really, my scar started hurting," he whispered to her softly.

"What were you doing?" she asked with a frown.

"Just nodded hello to the Professors I know up there," Harry inclined his head toward the staff table.

She'd frowned and looked at the Professors' table. Harry looked over as well, and... well, nothing seemed to be out of place. They looked back to each other, and Harry shrugged helplessly.

"I will keep watch. Be sure to tell me if it hurts again," she said sternly staying behind him and looking around the room with a critical eye.

Harry nodded and then looked over to watch the Sorting when he heard Ron's name called. He heard one of the twins jokingly bet that Ron'd end up in Hufflepuff, and the other responded with a 'with how LAZY he is?!' The hat gave the expected call of 'Gryffindor!' and Ron hurried over to their table. Harry shook his head and grinned as the twins started to tease their brother. Glancing to the side, he saw Hermione scribbling away on some notebook paper with a pen, and he reached over to tap her shoulder.

"Can I have a few pages and borrow a pen, Hermione?" he asked softly.

She nodded and handed over a few pages and her spare pen. Harry caught her muttering about having to learn how to use a quill asap as she was used to working with pens and pencils. He shared a commiserating grin with her and promised to work with her. As Harry thought of how to write his letter, the Sorting came to an end, and Headmaster Dumbledore got to his feet, drawing everyone's attention. He greeted the students and left them with a few words: 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!'. Harry noticed a few Ravenclaws writing down the strange words and looked at Percy.

"That was a bit odd," he said. "Why are some students writing down the words, Percy?"

"Oh, he always says something odd before the start of the feast," Percy said in a 'wise'-seeming tone. "Several students try to figure out if it's a riddle of some sort. There are rumors that it is and that students have gotten something in the past as a reward. Absolute genius he is. Potatoes, Harry?"

Harry blinked at the question and then noticed the bowl of potatoes in Percy's hand and the spoon he was now holding. He looked around the table, and his jaw dropped in surprise. Food had appeared out of nowhere, covering the table from end to end on golden serving plates. He grinned and then nodded to Percy eagerly.

"I love magic!" Harry said loudly, causing those closest to laugh.

During stuffing himself with dinner, Harry found out a little about his fellow Gryffindors and his house ghost. His house ghost was named Nearly Headless Nick, named as such as his head was just barely attached to the rest of him by a bit of flesh. It almost put Harry off his food, but then dessert was served. Harry put all thought of the ghost from his mind in favor of the amazing sweets.

While he ate dessert, he found out a few things about his new House Mates. He found out that Seamus Finnigan was considered part Muggle and that Neville was raised by his grandmother and that everyone in his family was worried he was a squib. Harry let out a shout of outrage, sending bits of food flying. That earned him a light smack tp the back of the head and a hiss of 'manners' from Beth. Neville flushed at Harry's outburst, but the boy explained that his Great Uncle Algie had held him out of a window to try to scare him into using magic. Harry and Hermione both looked ready to blow up.

"That's unreasonable!" Hermione hissed.

Neville firmly defended his Uncle, saying that he wouldn't have _actually_ dropped Neville if his Great Aunt Enid hadn't distracted him with meringue, which had caused his Great Uncles grip to slacken. The thought of having good meringue was apparently heaven to his Uncle. Neville had bounced when he hit the ground, which made Harry blink and then laugh aloud in amusement.

"You're a Bumble!" Harry said with a grin. Hermione and a few other muggle-raised laughed, which led to him having to explain the adventures of Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer to those of wizarding descent. Neville had grinned at the explanation but winced when Harry shook his head.

"Honestly, though, trying to scare you into using magic may have been a bit much," Harry said softly.

"Yeah..." Neville replied with a sigh.

Headmaster Dumbledore concluded the meal with another speech and some warnings. No one was allowed to go into the Forbidden Forest at the edge of the grounds. Students shouldn't use magic in the halls. Any second-year students who owned a broom could try out for Quidditch teams during week two. Lastly, and of utmost importance, students needed to avoid the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side, or they would face a 'very painful death.' Harry turned and asked Percy if the Headmaster was serious and was assured that he must be, though the Headmaster usually provided good, detailed reasons as to why something would be dangerous.

After that, the students were led to sing the school song. They were told to pick their own melody to go with the lyrics. Beth winced, but Harry was game and sang the song to the Pokemon series opening song for fun. The cacophony of sound caused by the ruckus was a bit much but still fun. The twins chose a funeral dirge, which caused more a few students to snicker at the strained smiles of the staff. Well, all but the Headmaster, that is. The man was gamely leading them in their song like a grandfatherly conductor. Once that was done, Percy led Harry and the other first years up to the Gryffindor dorms. They met and were subsequently warned about Peeves the Poltergeist. Finally, they entered the dorm. Harry was about ready to drop when he reached his bed, but he forced himself to stay up to write a letter to his Aunt.

_Dear Aunt Petunia and Dudders,_

_Hogwarts is AMAZING! It's this massive castle on right on a cliff ledge and has an amazing view of the lake below. We rode in on boats, boats that moved on their own! They went through a wall of ivy that hid a cavern at the base of the cliff. It was really amazing. I wish you two could have been here to see it._

_This part is for Dudders! You might not like it, Aunt Petunia._

_Anyway, there are ghosts here! GHOSTS! One of them brushed my shoulder, and it was like icy fingers, not just touching my skin but my muscles and my bones! It was creepy! I know why Beth avoids touching anyone but me as much as she can now. It's a horrible sensation._

_We have assigned house ghosts too. Our house ghost, Gryffindor that is, is called Nearly Headless Nick. His actual name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy. He showed us why he got the nickname 'nearly headless,' apparently, he had horrible luck with the executioner's ax._

_Okay, enough about the ghosts._

_We got sorted into our house by a singing/talking witches hat! It sang this really silly song about what each house is about and then BOWED to everyone afterward. It was funny! Aunt Petunia, you'd never have let the Sorting Hat touch your head! I'm surprised whatever spells were cast on it are still working! The poor thing is patched up in spots, frayed in others and is faded and dirty looking. Well, maybe you would wear it, after giving it a good solid washing!_

_Oh, Aunt Petunia, would you mind sending me some saran wrap and a book on normal/muggle history? Maybe something covering the past hundred or so years? A lot of those born to the wizarding world know almost nothing about current events going on and seem to think we're at a technological level equal to about a hundred years ago. I want to show them some of the things we've...well that muggles...have invented, like mobile phones or microscopes or the telly! I'd ask to borrow Duddleys GameBoy, but I found out that places of 'high magical concentration' like the school can kill muggle electronics._

_I'll tell you more about my classes once they start._

_Love,_

_Harry._

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Yay! another chapter done! Please review!


	10. Curious Harry

Harry Potter and the Imaginary Friend

Disclaimers: do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters. :(

Beth and any other IF however are mine :)

The chapter name is a play on Curious George, who always ends up in trouble because of his curiosity. :)

Also, I know Hermione doesn't get Crookshanks until year three, but I'm changing that somewhat. You'll see what I mean.

As a side note, like ghosts, Imaginaries can pass through most walls and doors at will, which means they could potentially go through ceilings and floors. Unless the Imaginary in question has wings, however, an Imaginary like Beth would be unable to 'float' up to a ceiling like ghosts could. She also would be less likely to drop through the floor as she could hurt herself, depending on the distance of the drop. That or suffocate if she 'phased' into the ground for too long. Girl still needs to breathe, ya know? :)

Edits as of 03/2020

/*/*/*/*/*/**/

Chapter Nine: Curious Harry

The next day started off early for Harry and for Hermione as well to his surprise. While Ron remained snoring in bed, both Harry and Hermione were up and in the common room before the others, wanting to mail off their letters to their family. Beth excused herself to Harry shortly after they got to the common room and told him she would be walking the grounds to see if there was any immediate danger to him or anyone else. Morning patrols as it were. He wished her good luck and went with Hermione. Sadly, he'd forgotten to ask his Imaginary if she'd found out where the Owlery was as neither he nor Hermione knew its' location. As such, they had to wait for an older student to wake up and come downstairs.

Thankfully, Percy was the next student to wake up. He was a bit shocked to see both of the first years already away, at least until they explained what they needed. He'd smiled at them and told them that he understood, especially if they were feeling homesick. He led them up to the Owlery, pointing out markers for the youngsters so they could find their way more quickly if they tried to go on their own the next time around.

He also explained just how much weight the owls could carry. They could carry quite a lot too as they were also pretty much the owl equivalent to wizards in humans, Magical in nature and intelligent, if not sapient, to boot. Learning that caused Harry to stop and reopen his letter. He wrote out a quick P.S. to his Aunt to just wrap up the items he wanted in a parcel and give them to Hedwig as she could easily handle the weight of the objects that he wanted.

Percy led them up to the Owlery and then hung back near the entrance to give them some time. Harry wanted to talk to his pet, and Hermione needed to find an owl that was willing to take her post so early in the morning. Harry was glad to see Hedwig and greeted her happily as she landed next to him on one of the resting posts. Hermione 'ooh'd' at her white plumage and asked if she could pet Hedwig. Harry was glad to let her, and as she pet the snowy owl, tears came to her eyes.

"Hermione! What's wrong?" Harry asked in concern, hands flapping uselessly as he tried to figure out how to help the upset girl.

"It's just...Mum didn't want me bringing my kitten. Well, he's not exactly a _normal_ kitten, he's half-kneazle he is," she said in a tearful rush. "He's such a little thing right now. Mum wants him to be house trained and all before she lets me bring him. She was against me getting a pet at first, but I managed to convince her otherwise. I'm responsible and have always gotten good grades, so she let me get him."

"Bad luck that," Harry said with feeling, glad he could visit Hedwig whenever he had the time. "Um... what's a Kneazle exactly?"

"Oh! A Kneazle is a magical feline creature that's related to, and similar in appearance to, a cat," she started, excited by the thought of sharing her knowledge with someone interested in learning. "They can have spotted, speckled, or flecked fur. They've got really large ears too. It looks quite silly when they're kittens, and they have this poofy tail, umm... you know how the tip of a lions tail is all poofy and furred, but the rest isn't as furred?"

Harry nodded in response to her query, recalling several TV programs on lions that he'd watched over the years.

"A kneazles tail is like that, poofy at the end. They can breed with a regular cat, and even the half-Kneazles have a very high level of intelligence. They even have an uncanny ability to detect suspicious and distrustful people. They can also safely guide their owner home if their owner ever gets lost," Harry's head was starting to spin with the information Hermione was flinging at him in her usual rapid-fire way. "They actually have a XXX classification by the Ministry of Magic if they are not interbred with another species because of how aggressive they can be with anyone who isn't their owner or owner's family! They are rather amazing, aren't they, Harry?"

Harry nodded in response and smiled as he realized, even as she launched into what she'd read about _other_ XXX creatures, that getting her talking about something had successfully distracted her from her obvious homesickness. He could see Percy covering his mouth to hide a grin, and after a moment spent composing himself, Harry was given an approving nod. Harry left the Owlery that morning, feeling proud of himself for helping his year-mate just by being willing to listen to her.

They left for breakfast together, feeling excited about the new day. Harry sat by Ron, who had already started eating, and Hermione pulled out her books to study as she nibbled at a plate of fruit. Ron rolled his eyes at the sight of the girl, all but ignoring the spread of other amazing breakfast foods, and Harry nudged him with his elbow to keep the red-head from saying anything. Breakfast was over faster than expected, and then it was time for classes.

As Ron and Harry headed off toward their first class and Hermione said she'd be along, Harry sighed as he realized that people were _still_ talking in not-so-hushed voices about him. He found it a bit annoying, especially since he and Ron were having problems getting to their class, and people were more interested in gossip instead of helping them figure out the _One-Hundred and Forty-Two_ staircases in the castle. It didn't help that they were not the stationary kind that Harry was used to.

 _These_ stairs liked to move around, and one could end up further away from ones' goal because of it. Then, there were the doors. The _Doors_! Some of them were downright silly in Harry's opinion, not opening unless they were tickled or knocked on in the right spot. Which was very silly. He was about ready to bang his head in frustration when Beth showed herself. She laughed when she realized that the boys were on the wrong side of the castle from their first class and was able to successfully lead them where they needed to go. Ron tried his hardest to remain polite when they saw their class just ahead.

"So how did your...um...you...figure out which way to go, mate?" Ron said, forcing himself to look straight ahead though it was apparent that he wanted to try to look around and figure out where Beth was. Beth whispered in Harry's ear, and Harry grinned as a result of what she wanted him to say.

"Impeccable sense of direction and the ability to memorized one's surroundings comes in handy, doesn't it?" Harry parroted to Ron.

Ron grinned and nodded at that, and the boys managed to make their first class right before the bell sounded. Hermione had already arrived well before them. Harry quickly found that he enjoyed Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, a class in which Hermione seemed to excel at. She was the only one to turn her matchstick into a needle on her first try. Then there was Charms with Professor Flitwick where again Hermione seemed to shine the brightest, quickly understanding what needed to be done for the spell casting. Herbology with Professor Sprout turned out to be Neville's favorite class, and Harry found that he, Hermione, and Ron quickly congregated around the shy Gryffindor who knew herbs almost as well as the Professor herself. Astronomy was only on Wednesday at midnight, and Beth seemed to love those nights the most as she could sit on the edge of the tower parapet and stare up at the night sky with a sad, wistful smile.

"What are you thinking?" He'd asked her one Wednesday night in a soft voice.

"The sky is like the ocean, dear Harry," she'd said, voice equally soft. "Some creatures 'swim' through the air as easily as others do the waves. Both can be equally calm and equally treacherous,"

She looked down at him with a raised brow and smiled thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you will understand when you have flying lessons," she said. "But perhaps not."

"So... the way you're acting... you're missing someone who can fly?" Harry asked.

"You could say that dear Harry," she'd responded with an enigmatic grin and would not elaborate further.

After that, there were two classes that Harry thought were nothing but a sad joke. History of Magic was the first of the two, and it was run by a ghost, Professor Binns. The Professor had apparently died in his sleep in front of the staff room fireplace. The man had simply gotten up to teach the next morning _without_ his body. Harry found that a bit creepy and resolved to find out what exactly made a ghost.

The next disappointing class was Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirrell. The room smelled strongly of garlic when they entered. Apparently, he'd managed to piss off a vampire while in Romania and was terrified of said vampire showing up and visiting vengeance upon him. The Professor's blatant change of subject at being asked to regale his students with how he had protected an African Prince from a zombie and thus been given his 'prized' turban was... suspicious, to say the least.

Friday itself was a worrisome day for Harry when he found out that they had double potions with Professor Snape. It wasn't that he was _afraid_ of the taciturn man. It was that Harry didn't want to let his Aunt down. He wanted to be able to tell her that he had done well after all the mock potion runs they had done together. He was still waiting on a response letter from her concerning his request too, but Ron had told him that it could take several days sometimes for mail to arrive. Hogwarts was pretty much in the 'middle of nowhere' compared to some of the larger wizarding cities.

"Ya know that Snape's Head of the Slytherin house," Ron said in amusement as Harry looked through his first-year potions book. "They say he's always favored those from his House over the others."

"Wish McGonagall favored us!" Harry responded with a laugh. "And I'm not worried about extra points or anything. I really think I'll like Potions, it's kinda like a more dangerous version of cooking, and I love cooking!"

"Really?" Ron asked in surprise, apparently having not thought of it that way. "If you like cooking, then you'll want to meet Mum at some point or come and visit us sometime, she adores cooking too. Me and the others? Not so much. Even Ginny is more of a tom-boy then anything. Maybe you can find out if you can come over and visit during the summer?"

"I'll ask," Harry said with a grin before starting to turn back to his food.

Before he could, the mail arrived, and Harry looked up, hoping to see Hedwig. He saw a flash of white feathers and grinned as his familiar alighted on the table in front of him. She had a parcel in her claws, and a note held tenderly within her beak. He grabbed the package, which was larger than just one book, and seemed to hold more than the two items he'd requested. He set it to the side carefully without opening it and grabbed the note.

_'Dear Harry,_

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week! Send us an answer back with Hedwig._

_~Hagrid'_

Harry borrowed Ron's quill to write out a quick 'Yes please! Will see you later!' and sent Hedwig off with the response and some bacon for her troubles. Afterward, he stuffed his package into his bag, and they made their way down to the dungeons for Potions. The group selected their own seats, pairing up mostly by House, while Beth moved to stand at the back of the class. Snape started the class off with roll call, walking up and down the tables as he called out student names. He paused slightly at Harry's name and tapped the paper with the tip of his quill.

"Ah, yes, Harry Potter..." Snape said with a drawl. "Our new... _Celebrity_."

Harry flinched and then fidgeted at the sudden attention from his classmates as the Professor met his gaze. He tried to give a subtle shake of his head to the Professor with a begging look in his eyes. Harry really, _REALLY_ didn't want any attention. Especially not recognition tied to his parents' deaths. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure it was his mother who had done something to stop Voldemort. Beth thought that was what had happened, and honestly, it made the most sense.

To his surprise, one of Professor's Snape's brow rose upwards, rather like Spock, he thought with an internal grin. The Professor seemed to regard him with a curious expression, part frown part thoughtful as if Harry wasn't acting the way he imagined that he would. The Professor turned his gaze away suddenly and turned back to the rest of the class with a sweep of his robes.

*"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. Like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death... if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." *

More silence followed that little speech. Suddenly he rounded on Harry, who froze in fright like a deer caught in the headlamps of a car.

"Potter!" said Snape just as suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Powdered...worm..." Harry stuttered a slight bit at first, surprised at being called out. He saw Hermione's hand shoot up. "Living...um...Draught of...OH!"

He relaxed slightly as the potion came to mind and had to fight back a relieved smile.

"Draught of the Living Death, sir," he said confidently. "It's a strong sleeping potion!"

Professor Snape's brow rose again as it had earlier, and Hermione seemed to deflate a bit when Harry answered the question correctly.

"So you DO know how to study," said the Professor with the same drawling tone as earlier. "Let's test your knowledge. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"Stomach of..." Harry tilted his head slightly, and he again caught a glance of Hermione's hand shooting into the air, trying to get Professor Snape's attention. The Professor continued to ignore the eager girl. "...a shee...No! A Goat, sir!"

"Very well," Hermione's hand had fallen again with disappointment. "And the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

Hermione's hand once again shot up, and this time Harry turned to look to her with his own brows raised. He grinned suddenly at an idea and waved a hand to get her attention. He held up one finger, and she blinked at him. Professor Snape was watching closely with a critical eye. He held up a second finger, and Hermione's hand fell to her side as her eyes widened. She grinned and nodded at him. Professor Snape's other eyebrow rose to join the first as he looked between the two Gryffindors, the entire class was watching as well, whispering to each other in confusion. Harry held up a third finger, and then both he and Hermione turned to look to the Professor and spoke together.

"They're the same plant sir!" they said in chorus. "And they also go by Aconite!"

Ron was struggling to hold back a laugh, and Harry could tell that several others were as well. Professor Snape's brows started twitching in such a way that Harry thought he was either trying not to laugh himself or was _very_ pissed off and barely managing to hold his anger in check. Harry watched as Beth moved toward the front of the class, moving wide of the tables, just as the Professor spun. His robes billowed as he moved to the front of the class.

"Five points for each correct answer and five points each _removed_ for your cheek, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger!" he said in a haughty tone. He spun around and sat at his desk with a flourish. "Well?! Why are none of you writing this down?!"

There was a scramble of quills against parchment, and Harry gave Hermione a reassuring grin as she looked disappointed that they had won fifteen points but lost ten points due to 'cheek.' Beth walked back over and leaned to speak softly in his ear even though she didn't much need to.

"He had a smirk on his lips for a moment when he turned away from the class," she told him with a grin.

Harry grinned back and continued to write down the information he'd gone over and then switched to jotting down the instructions the Professor put up on the board.

Neville, as much as he loved Herbology, seemed to be absolute bunk at Potions. The other boy nearly ending up _melting_ Seamus's cauldron. As Neville and Seamus were sitting right near Ron and Harry, that could have been bad. Thankfully, Beth had noticed the problem with the brew and got Harry's attention in time for him to get Neville and Seamus away from the cauldron. The caustic mixture flooded over the edges of the cauldron and over the table. Everyone else had to jump onto their tables to avoid the bubbling mixture as it spread across the floor.

The Professor cleared away the mess and gave Neville and Seamus a blistering talking-to. The Professor then issued Harry one point for the timely rescue, which did nothing to really dent the _ten_ -point loss for incompetence that Seamus and Neville had received at the end of the lecture. Harry didn't care too much for the point loss. He was merely grateful that no one was harmed because of the accident.

Potions really _was_ like cooking, only with a one- _hundred_ percent increase to any dangerous fall out if one wasn't careful. He could understand the strict eye the Professor had them under. Even the caustic attitude he gave during the talking-to was understandable as someone could have been seriously injured because of the boys' mistake.

After classes, Harry and Ron headed down to meet up with Hagrid, where they met Fang. The dog seemed to be a very lazy, and large, black boar-hound. Harry wondered if Hagrid was one of those people in the habit of naming nice pets by dangerous names and dangerous pets by nice names. Thanks to his Aunt Marge's visits over the years, he knew that some people were like that. HArry learned the hard way during that visit that Hagrid's rock cakes were only edible _after_ being dipped and softened in tea. Otherwise, they were, well, as hard as a rock. He also learned that there was a break-in at Gringotts on his birthday.

He stared at the newspaper announced that little tidbit in shock for a whole minute before he turned to Hagrid in surprise.

"I thought you said no one could break in! Did they catch the thief?" Harry asked in surprise.

Hagrid had told them that no one had been caught and promptly changed the subject to ask how their classes had been so far, which raised flags for Ron, Harry, _and_ Beth. They instantly, and collectively, wondered what Hagrid could possibly know about the situation, but the man avoided any questions that the two boys tried to ask. They finally gave up on trying to ask anything about the break-in and just focused on how they were enjoying school.

Once they were done at Hagrid's, Harry and Ron darted back to their dorm, Harry's parcel at the forefront of their minds. Confirming that the twins weren't in the dorm came first. Once they confirmed that it was safe, Harry opened the parcel with a grin. Inside was the Saran Wrap he asked for, an up to date muggle history book, and two board games that Harry enjoyed; Clue and Monopoly. Harry agreed to teach Ron how to play later when the red-headed boy voiced his confusion with the games. It was fun to play when you had more people. Harry then opened the letter from his Aunt and cousin.

_Dear Harry,_

_I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your first day at school. Dudley was quite excited about your mention of ghosts and wants you to inform him of any other creatures or otherworldly beings you may meet throughout the year._

_I do quite agree with you on this Sorting Hat you described in your letter. I doubt water would affect it poorly and wonder why in the blazes the school staff does not give it a proper washing before placing it on a new student's head. Have they never heard of germs? Or lice! I do hope you washed your hair as soon as you were able to with hot water, you don't know if anyone has lice or anything else. I have no idea what kind of bugs wizards might have to deal with, and placing a filthy hat on each of the new students' heads is a prime way to spread such nasty little things._

_Here are the items you requested, and I added two of your favorite games. It's too bad about magic affecting electronics. I'll try to get a microscope for you, however, as you can find many without the extra electric bits that will function just fine. You'll need to find a well-lit area though to use it._

_Dudley is doing very well in public school. I refused to place him in Smeltings, where_ **_he_ ** _went. The uniform clashes horribly, and they give their students a staff to whack themselves and their teachers! There is no_ **_proper_ ** _respect for adults taught there, nor even respect for fellow students! Dudley was quite happy to remain in public school as he would have lost some of his friends otherwise._

_Do let me know if you need anything, and_ please _stay out of trouble. I have a bad feeling about sending you the saran wrap. Still, after our very long talks on pranking, I have found that you have not pranked someone who either did not deserve it, like that bigger boy who was bullying that poor girl in first grade that you told me about or were pranksters themselves like Dudley and Piers have turned out to be. At least your cousin and his friend have the good sense to not prank_ ** _adults_** _. I do hope that it is not the later by the by, as you may start a 'prank war,' and I have never heard of those ending well unless you are good friends with the person you are pranking. Either way, be safe above all else._

_Love,_

_Aunt Petunia._

"Wow!" Ron said, startling Harry. He glanced up to see that Ron had started looking roughly midway through the muggle history book that his Aunt had sent. "Muggles have really come a long way, haven't they? I knew about motorcars but Air... planes? Did I say that, right?"

"Yeah, you did, and that's not all they've been up to," Harry said with a grin. "Hey, I'm going to go set up my prank for the twins. Afterward, we need to be 'doing other things'!"

"I'll go talk to Hermione about this book. Right Know-it-All that she is and muggle-born to boot, she'll be able to explain some things I bet. You need my help?"

"Nah, I can set it up myself, just have... I dunno a chess game set up or something when I get back, okay?"

Ron nodded and asked Harry how he was going to prank the twins. Harry explained how the Saran wrap was going to be used since the toilet idea was out. Toilets were communal for all but the Prefects' bathroom and the Head Boys' and Girls' bathrooms. Ron struggled to hold back his laughter after having the idea explained, and then he went to find Hermione.

Harry was able to sneak into the twins' dorm room and confirm which beds belonged to the twins'. All thanks to the help of their own roommates no less. Harry then swore said rooms mates to secrecy. They readily agreed to keep silent as they _really_ wanted to get the twins back for some of the previous pranks they had played over the years. After that Harry set to work.

The twins kept their bed curtains drawn, and Harry carefully pulled them open on either side. A few carefully layered sheets of saran wrap later to each bed, and he closed up the curtains. The plan was that the twins would rebound off the plastic wrap when getting up. The dark lighting of the rooms, ideally, would prevent the candlelight from reflecting off of the wraps' surface. At least, it would as long as the curtains weren't pulled all the way open. Their roommates assured him that the twins always left the curtains closed as they were often experimenting with spells and the like.

Harry grinned at his handy work and, after a game of chess, carefully left the tower while letting Ron know he was going to do some exploring before curfew. He wandered aimlessly with Beth at his side. However, his Imaginary would sometimes give him a nudge if Harry started down a path that led to the forbidden third-floor corridor. Finally, he found his way up to the tower used for Astronomy. The view of the surrounding land was even more amazing during daylight hours. He grinned and started over to the parapets' edge to peer over it, and he was startled to a stop when he heard a soft voice.

'Too high. Too open. _Evil_ two-leggers! Eagles and hawks and owls! No place to _hide_!'

Harry looked around in surprise and then finally located a young garden snake trying to hide in the shadows of the parapet. He walked over slowly and bent down in front of the snake, keeping a few feet between them so as not to scare the poor thing any further.

'Hi there,' he said softly.

'A Speaker! A Speaker! _Please_! Get me away from here! Birds will see me!' hissed the snake.

'I will get you to safety,' Harry responded with a nod. 'I'm going to pick you up now, alright?'

Harry gently lifted the snake just as he heard a startled squeak from behind him. He turned and saw Neville, who was looking at him and was quite pale with fright. Harry frowned a bit, wondering if the boy was scared of snakes.

"What's wrong, Neville?" Harry asked in concern.

"Y-y-y-you... _talked to that snake_!" Neville managed to squeak out.

"Is that a bad thing?" Harry asked with a surprised blink.

Beth beside him started talking angrily in her own language for a few moments before crossing her arms sternly. Neville jumped slightly and wrung his hands a bit as he looked at a particular spot on the ground.

"Well, it's just that... the last wizard who could talk to snakes was... You-Know-Who!" Neville said in a small voice.

"Oh," Harry thought for a few long moments then nodded his head as he came to a decision. "Neville, are there wizards and witches who can talk to and understand I don't know... cats?"

"I... yes," Neville said, nodding slowly after a moment of confusion. "It's rare."

"How about dogs or wolves?" Harry asked.

A nod from the other boy.

"Birds or maybe something else entirely?" he pressed.

Another nod.

"And are any of those people automatically evil because they speak to those animals?" Harry asked.

"Well... no," came the hesitant response.

"See, it's a skill, like anything else," Harry said, satisfied that he had made his point.

Neville still looked a little doubtful despite Harry's reassuring smile.

"I suppose you're right," Neville said, "but I wouldn't go spreading it around. Not a lot of people will look at it like you do."

Harry nodded and was about to say something else when there was a bang from the door, and Filch, the caretaker, poked his head up. His eyes narrowed on the snake in Harry's hands.

"AHAH!" Filch shouted as he climbed up the rest of the way. "Leaving a nasty snake to scare the others are you!"

"No!" Harry said, startled by the accusation. "I _found_ the po-"

"A likely story!" he grabbed both boys by their ears and yanked them back downstairs, causing them to yelp. "Taking you to Professor Snape, I am. He'll know what to do with you, boys! Evil Nasty Children!"

Neville started whimpering, and Harry did his best to both hold onto the poor garden snake and try to reassure Neville at the same time. Beth was moving along behind them and was frowning at the School Caretaker. She shook her head when Harry tried to give her a desperate look.

"I'll only get you in more trouble if I try to do something now, Dear Harry," she said softly. "Tell Professor Snape the truth when we get to him."

Harry nodded as much as he could and tried to stand a little straighter despite the painful grip on his ear. Filch led them into the potions room where Professor Snape was currently organizing the potions supply cabinet. He turned with a raised brow to look at both boys and frowned when he saw the snake in Harry's hands.

"Caught these two trying to leave a Nasty surprise, Professor!" Filch said in an excited voice.

"Indeed?" Professor Snape noticed the snake in Harry's hand and frowned. "I will take it from here. Dismissed Mr. Filch."

Filch left looking disappointed, Harry felt for sure that he wanted to witness whatever punishment the boys would get. Neville was almost in tears and clenching his hands close to his chest. Harry gave him a nudge and tried to give him a reassuring look. He stepped forward to the Professor, carefully holding up the snake.

"I was exploring the castle and ended up in the Astronomy tower, sir," Harry began. The Professor's brow arched, and he crossed his arms. There was almost, but not quite, a sneer on his lips. "I heard this little guy."

"Heard him slithering about?" the Professor growled softly. "I seriously doubt that Mr. Potter, snakes are quite silent when they sense danger."

Harry frowned and shook his head before looking to Beth. She nodded and indicated for him to continue with a small pushing motion of her hands. He turned back to the Professor and squared his shoulders.

"No, sir, I mean, I heard him _talking_ ," Harry stressed. "He was talking about mean two-leggers and dangerous birds."

Whatever reaction Harry was expecting wasn't the one he got. Professor Snape stared at him for several long moments in confused silence. When Harry's words finally registered, the man went whiter than usual and fell back against the supply cabinet with a thud that knocked several supply containers over. Thankfully, none of them broke. The Professor's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally spoke.

"You _heard_ the snake. You can _talk_ to the snake," he said in a strained voice.

"Yes sir, here, sir, see?" Harry looked down at the snake and carefully shifted the snake into his left hand, holding his right next to his left. He looked at the snake. 'Would you moved to my right hand, please?'

'Speaker...you two-leggers are strange,' Said the snake as he moved to Harry's right hand.

Professor Snape was rubbing at the bridge of his nose after the snake moved. He then moved to grab an aquarium and carefully took the snake from Harry and put him inside along with a few dozen live crickets that had been stored in apparent stasis in one of the jars. The snake hissed happily with the results, and Harry let out a soft giggle and relayed the snake's words.

"He said 'thank you, he-who-smells-of-herbs for the crunchies.' They are his favorite," Harry smiled up at the teacher.

Professor Snape's brow twitched as they watched the snake catching the crickets. He then turned to Harry and Neville with a frown.

"I will not be issuing either of you any detention. However, I will be speaking with the Headmaster about your... ability... Mr. Potter," the Professor said calmly. "Tell no one, do you both understand me? The Headmaster will wish to speak with you both at some point, I expect. Back to your dorm room!"

Both boys nodded and fled for their dorm. Harry frowned a bit as he realized Neville's hands were still held close to his chest, and he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder when they got to the Gryffindor Painting.

"Hey mate, we're both okay. No detention or anything. Neither of us did anything wrong either, so breathe mate."

Neville nodded and took a deep breath to steady himself. They both went inside, feeling very relieved, and Harry resolved not to do any further exploring for a little bit. When they got inside, they heard the twins interrogating everyone in the dorm about the 'spell' that was cast on their beds to make such weird clear wrap appear around them and the 'vengeance' they would reap on the culprit when they figured out who did it. Harry made his way to his room with care to make sure the Saran Wrap was hidden amongst the school supply side of his trunk and not in the main clothes section that he'd been keeping it set to.

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